A couple of spacecraft have demonstrated ultra precise training that flies in orbit for the first time, marking a milestone with important implications for the space missions of science and future.
He European Space Agency‘S (ESA) PROBA-3 The mission, which consists of two spacecraft called Octúas and the Coronagraph, flew in perfect formation at a distance of 150 meters (492 feet) with each other with millimeter precision, the agency announced on May 8 statement.
The pair autonomously maintained its relative position for several hours thanks to a series of sensors, including the laser instrument of the fine and longitudinal sensor (Flls), a shadow position sensor and camera -based systems.
“We are talking about the millimeter accuracy in the range and subtilimetric in the lateral position,” said Damien Galano, Proba-3 project manager, in the ESA statement.
The successful test paves the way for the spacecraft to perform its scientific objective: use the octustero to block The sun To create a total Solar eclipse and allow the coronagraff to study the sun in this unique state only occasionally at sea from Land.
Scientists aim to use artificial eclippes to unravel a series of mysteries, such as why the sun crownor outer atmosphere, it is so hot, which accelerates the Solar windAnd how the sun throws material in the duration of space Coronal mass executions.
But the advance to demonstrate such exquisite levels of training wheel can have greater implications for future science and space applications beyond study Exoplanetsand spatial based on Gravitational Wave Detection.
The two proba-3 spacecraft were launched For an Indian PSLV rocket in December in a highly elliptical orbit, which carries them as a close axis 373 miles (600 kilometers) to the earth and as distant as 37,612 miles (60,530 km). The couple is formed as they advance towards their most remote point of the earth, when the effects of the gravitational attraction of the earth are narrower, which means that the form of flying can be maintained with very little propeller.
Next, the challenge will be to prepare the useful loads of the spacecraft and then align the couple with the sun with creativity Total solar eclipses.
“We cannot wait to see the completion of the calibration of the instrument and the first prosecuted image of the Crown of the Sun,” Galano said.
