{"id":14711,"date":"2024-04-03T14:48:01","date_gmt":"2024-04-03T14:48:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/TheNextWeb=1405385"},"modified":"2024-04-03T14:48:01","modified_gmt":"2024-04-03T14:48:01","slug":"new-space-mission-aims-to-create-solar-eclipses-on-demand-with-satellites","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/?p=14711","title":{"rendered":"New space mission aims to create solar eclipses on-demand with satellites"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Days before a total solar eclipse sweeps across North America, scientists in Europe have revealed another plan to block out the sun.<\/p>\n<p>The audacious project \u2014 called Proba-3 \u2014 will align two spacecraft to produce artificial eclipses. By creating this complicated calibration, the mission will capture new views of the Sun \u2014 and complete the <span>first-ever precision formation space flight.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>At an event today in Belgium, the <a href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/topic\/european-space-agency\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">European Space Agency<\/a> (ESA) unveiled the Proba-3 satellites: the Occulter and the Coronagraph.<\/p>\n<h2>Proba-3\u2019s flightpath<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1405393 js-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/04\/Proba-3_satellites_form_artificial_eclipse_pillars.jpg\" alt=\"Artist's impression of ESA's Proba-3 mission blocking the Sun between two spacecraft\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1357\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/04\/Proba-3_satellites_form_artificial_eclipse_pillars.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/04\/Proba-3_satellites_form_artificial_eclipse_pillars-280x198.jpg 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/04\/Proba-3_satellites_form_artificial_eclipse_pillars-191x135.jpg 191w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/04\/Proba-3_satellites_form_artificial_eclipse_pillars-382x270.jpg 382w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/04\/Proba-3_satellites_form_artificial_eclipse_pillars-1536x1086.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/04\/Proba-3_satellites_form_artificial_eclipse_pillars-796x563.jpg 796w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/04\/Proba-3_satellites_form_artificial_eclipse_pillars-1592x1125.jpg 1592w\"><figcaption><a href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/esa-plans-artifical-solar-eclipse-proba-3#\" data-url=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Feditorial.thenextweb.com%2Fdeep-tech%2F2024%2F04%2F03%2Fesa-plans-artifical-solar-eclipse-proba-3%2F&amp;via=thenextweb&amp;related=thenextweb&amp;text=Check out this picture on: Artist\u2019s impression of ESA\u2019s Proba-3 mission blocking the Sun. Credit: ESA-P. Carril\" data-title=\"Share Artist\u2019s impression of ESA\u2019s Proba-3 mission blocking the Sun. Credit: ESA-P. Carril on Twitter\" data-width=\"685\" data-height=\"500\" class=\"post-image-share popitup\" title=\"Share Artist\u2019s impression of ESA\u2019s Proba-3 mission blocking the Sun. Credit: ESA-P. Carril on Twitter\"><i class=\"icon icon--inline icon--twitter--dark\"><\/i><\/a>Artist\u2019s impression of ESA\u2019s Proba-3 mission blocking the Sun. Credit: ESA-P. Carril<\/figcaption><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1405393\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/04\/Proba-3_satellites_form_artificial_eclipse_pillars.jpg\" alt=\"Artist's impression of ESA's Proba-3 mission blocking the Sun between two spacecraft\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1357\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/04\/Proba-3_satellites_form_artificial_eclipse_pillars.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/04\/Proba-3_satellites_form_artificial_eclipse_pillars-280x198.jpg 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/04\/Proba-3_satellites_form_artificial_eclipse_pillars-191x135.jpg 191w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/04\/Proba-3_satellites_form_artificial_eclipse_pillars-382x270.jpg 382w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/04\/Proba-3_satellites_form_artificial_eclipse_pillars-1536x1086.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/04\/Proba-3_satellites_form_artificial_eclipse_pillars-796x563.jpg 796w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/04\/Proba-3_satellites_form_artificial_eclipse_pillars-1592x1125.jpg 1592w\"><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<p>Under ESA\u2019s plan, the Occulter will fly around 150m from the Coronograph. Once the pair are in their precise positions, the Occulter will cast a shadow onto the Coronagraph face, which will mask the Sun to reveal the corona.<\/p>\n<div class=\"inarticle-wrapper latest channel-cta hs-embed-tnw\">\n<div id=\"hs-embed-tnw\" class=\"channel-cta-wrapper\" readability=\"8.5\">\n<div class=\"channel-cta-img\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"js-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/events.tnw\/hardfork-2018\/uploads\/visuals\/tnw-newsletter.png\"><\/div>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/events.tnw\/hardfork-2018\/uploads\/visuals\/tnw-newsletter.png\"><\/noscript><\/p>\n<div class=\"channel-cta-input\" readability=\"12\">\n<p class=\"channel-cta-title\">The &lt;3 of EU tech<\/p>\n<p class=\"channel-cta-tagline\">The latest rumblings from the EU tech scene, a story from our wise ol&#8217; founder Boris, and some questionable AI art. It&#8217;s free, every week, in your inbox. Sign up now!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>A similar experiment was conducted back in 1975, <span>when astronauts from the US and Soviet Union <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/search?q=solar+%22eclipse%22+the+U.S.-USSR+crew+for+the+Apollo+Soyuz+Test+Project.+the%C2%A0+the+Apollo-Soyuz+Test+Project+in+1975&amp;sca_esv=2fcdd62dc0011717&amp;sca_upv=1&amp;ei=d10NZuyIAfSxhbIPpq-tgAw&amp;ved=0ahUKEwisoKX7lqaFAxX0WEEAHaZXC8AQ4dUDCBA&amp;uact=5&amp;oq=solar+%22eclipse%22+the+U.S.-USSR+crew+for+the+Apollo+Soyuz+Test+Project.+the%C2%A0+the+Apollo-Soyuz+Test+Project+in+1975&amp;gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAicXNvbGFyICJlY2xpcHNlIiB0aGUgVS5TLi1VU1NSIGNyZXcgZm9yIHRoZSBBcG9sbG8gU295dXogVGVzdCBQcm9qZWN0LiB0aGXCoCB0aGUgQXBvbGxvLVNveXV6IFRlc3QgUHJvamVjdCBpbiAxOTc1SABQAFgAcAB4AZABAJgBAKABAKoBALgBA8gBAPgBAZgCAKACAJgDAJIHAKAHAA&amp;sclient=gws-wiz-serp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">teamed up<\/a> to create an artificial eclipse. But Proba-3 aims to achieve the feat routinely.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span> If all goes to plan, the \u20ac200mn mission will deliver solar eclipses on demand. <\/span><span>As a result, the elusive solar corona will finally be visible for sustained study.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Solar eclipses by request<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><video class=\"gifsnomore size-full wp-image-1405395 \" autoplay loop muted><source type=\"video\/mp4\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/04\/Proba-3_stack_separating.mp4\"><\/video><figcaption><a href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/esa-plans-artifical-solar-eclipse-proba-3#\" data-url=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Feditorial.thenextweb.com%2Fdeep-tech%2F2024%2F04%2F03%2Fesa-plans-artifical-solar-eclipse-proba-3%2F&amp;via=thenextweb&amp;related=thenextweb&amp;text=Check out this picture on: Proba-3 will first separate into the Occulter (top) and the Coronagraph. Credit: ESA \u2014 Magic Fennec\" data-title=\"Share Proba-3 will first separate into the Occulter (top) and the Coronagraph. Credit: ESA \u2014 Magic Fennec on Twitter\" data-width=\"685\" data-height=\"500\" class=\"post-image-share popitup\" title=\"Share Proba-3 will first separate into the Occulter (top) and the Coronagraph. Credit: ESA \u2014 Magic Fennec on Twitter\"><i class=\"icon icon--inline icon--twitter--dark\"><\/i><\/a>Proba-3 will first separate into the Occulter (top) and the Coronagraph. Credit: ESA \u2014 Magic Fennec<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span>To produce solar eclipses, Proba-3 will rely on precision formation flying, which autonomously coordinates the movements of multiple spacecraft.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Together, the satellites will create a single science instrument that\u2019s 150 metres long.<\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cIt will demonstrate various types of formation flying configurations and it will experiment with in-orbit rendezvous techniques,\u201d Dietmar Pilz, ESA\u2019s Director of Technology, Engineering and Quality, said at a Tuesday press conference. <\/span><span>\u201cOnce proven, formation flying will be an enabler for future missions\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><video class=\"gifsnomore size-full wp-image-1405394 \" autoplay loop muted><source type=\"video\/mp4\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/04\/Proba-3_laser_link_between_spacecraft.mp4\"><\/video><figcaption><a href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/esa-plans-artifical-solar-eclipse-proba-3#\" data-url=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Feditorial.thenextweb.com%2Fdeep-tech%2F2024%2F04%2F03%2Fesa-plans-artifical-solar-eclipse-proba-3%2F&amp;via=thenextweb&amp;related=thenextweb&amp;text=Check out this picture on: Proba-3 will use a laser metrology system to achieve millimetre-level precision. Credit: ESA \u2014 Magic Fennec\" data-title=\"Share Proba-3 will use a laser metrology system to achieve millimetre-level precision. Credit: ESA \u2014 Magic Fennec on Twitter\" data-width=\"685\" data-height=\"500\" class=\"post-image-share popitup\" title=\"Share Proba-3 will use a laser metrology system to achieve millimetre-level precision. Credit: ESA \u2014 Magic Fennec on Twitter\"><i class=\"icon icon--inline icon--twitter--dark\"><\/i><\/a>Proba-3 will use a laser metrology system to achieve millimetre-level precision. Credit: ESA \u2014 Magic Fennec<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>ESA has grand ambitions for the new technology. The agency envisions <span>formations of space telescopes observing cosmic targets at extraordinary resolutions. Proba-3 will also showcase <a href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/topic\/space\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">tech<\/a> for \u201c<\/span><span>in-orbit servicing\u201d and \u201cremoval of derelict satellites,\u201d Pilz said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>The next step to those goals is<span _ngcontent-otter-web-c470248639 appbindingdata class=\"transcript-snippet__content__body__word ng-star-inserted\" key=\"118\" data-highlighted=\"false\" data-playhead=\"false\"><span> final pre-flight testing<\/span>. Once that\u2019s completed, the countdown to takeoff can commence. The mission is tentatively slated to launch from India in September 2024.<\/span><\/p>\n<p> <a href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/esa-plans-artifical-solar-eclipse-proba-3\">Source<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Days before a total solar eclipse sweeps across North America, scientists in Europe have revealed another plan to block out the sun. The audacious project \u2014 called Proba-3 \u2014 will align two&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14712,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14711"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=14711"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14711\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/14712"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=14711"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=14711"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=14711"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}