Landmark space mission set to create artificial solar eclipses using satellites
GuardianNOV 22 2024
Satellites Launched to Create Artificial Solar Eclipses
Above: The PSLV-C59 carries two satellites of the European Space Agency Proba-3 spacecraft from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, India, on Dec. 5, 2024. Image copyright: Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)/Contributor/AFP via Getty Images
The Facts
The European Space Agency successfully launched two satellites from India's Satish Dhawan Space Centre on Wednesday, marking the beginning of a $210M mission to create artificial solar eclipses in space.
The Proba-3 mission consists of two cube-shaped spacecraft that will fly in precise formation 492 feet (150 meters) apart, with one satellite casting a shadow on the other to block the sun's glare, requiring accuracy within one millimeter.
Each artificial eclipse will last up to six hours, significantly longer than natural eclipses. This will allow scientists to study the sun's corona and its mysteries — including why the corona is hotter than the sun's surface.
The Spin
Narrative A
The groundbreaking mission represents a technological triumph that will revolutionize solar research by providing unprecedented access to study the sun's corona while demonstrating advanced formation flying capabilities that could enable future large-scale space observatories.
Narrative B
The expensive mission carries significant risks due to the extreme precision required for formation flying, and the artificial eclipses won't be visible from Earth, limiting public engagement and direct verification of mission success.
Metaculus Prediction
The Controversies
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