The two Proba-3 satellites will demonstrate the readiness of such technology by performing in orbit a set of typical formation flying operations: station-keeping at different relative distances (from 25 m up to 250 m); approaching and separating in precise formation without losing millimetre precision; repointing the formation as a virtual rigid body away from the Sun and the combination of station-keeping, resizing, and re-targeting manoeuvres.
Proba-3 is not only a technology demonstration mission. It will also perform scientific observations, taking images of the Sun’s corona through a coronagraph instrument placed in one of the spacecraft. Formation flying technology entails placing one of the two Proba-3 satellites in front of the instrument’s lens, thus blocking out the Sun’s disk and creating an artificial eclipse in flight. Doing this in space, at a distance of 150 m, will achieve unprecedented performance in coronagraphy and, therefore, will bring highly valuable scientific outcomes.
Most of the operations in Proba-3 will be done fully autonomously, with no intervention from the ground to actively control the formation. The Proba-3 satellites will be able to coordinate their own operations based on a pre-defined timeline defining activities for the next days. They also must be able to take autonomous decisions in case of failures happening during such operations, breaking the formation and putting the satellites in a safe configuration until ground is able to further investigate the issues.
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