The European Space Agency’s (ESA) Proba-3 mission is set to launch on December 4, with the satellites being carried aboard India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre. This mission marks a significant milestone as Proba-3 becomes the world’s first precision formation flying mission.

Preparations are in full swing at the Indian spaceport in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, where the two Proba-3 satellites are being readied for launch. The Proba-3 system includes two spacecraft: the Occulter Spacecraft and the Coronagraph Spacecraft. These will be placed inside the rocket’s payload fairing (nose cone) and then mated with the PSLV rocket’s systems.

Since Proba-3 is a foreign-origin spacecraft, teams from European companies Redwire, Sener, and Airbus, who contributed to the hardware, are handling all the operations. The fueling team from ArianeGroup is also involved in the process.

Currently, the Occulter spacecraft has been fueled, while the Coronagraph spacecraft is yet to undergo fueling. Once the fueling is completed, the spacecraft will be integrated with the PSLV rocket.

In preparation, the satellites underwent a 'fit check' last week. This important step ensures that the satellites are properly aligned with the payload adapter, a mechanical component that attaches the spacecraft to the rocket. This ensures the satellites will separate from the rocket smoothly during the mission. As the Proba-3 satellites are European-made, while the adapter is Indian-made, the fit check is crucial to ensure everything interfaces correctly before fueling begins.

The mission is set to be a crucial step in advancing satellite technology and precision flying.