Hey there, space enthusiasts! 
Guess what? The European Space Agency (ESA) has just launched a super cool mission called Proba-3 to study the Sun! And guess who helped them? India’s space agency, ISRO! 
On Thursday, the Proba-3 mission lifted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in India. It was delayed by a day due to a tiny technical problem, but now it’s zooming towards space! 
Proba-3 is a special two-satellite system that took over ten years to build and will be in space for two years.
So, what’s so special about Proba-3? 
Well, it’s going to help scientists learn more about the Sun’s corona. The corona is like the Sun’s glowing crown, and it’s super mysterious because it’s really hard to study from Earth. Have you ever seen a solar eclipse? 
That’s when the Moon blocks the Sun, and we can see the corona for just a few minutes. But with Proba-3, scientists can study the corona for up to six hours every time it orbits the Earth! That’s amazing! 
Studying the corona is super important because it helps us understand things like solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs). These are big bursts of energy and particles from the Sun that can mess up our satellites, GPS, and even power grids on Earth. 
By learning more about them, we can protect our technology and keep things running smoothly.
The mission costs about 200 million euros, and over 40 European companies have worked together to make it happen! Some of these companies are SENER Aerospace, Redwire Space, and Airbus Defence and Space. That’s teamwork at its best! 
Isn’t it exciting how countries and scientists all over the world are working together to explore space and learn more about our amazing Sun? Maybe one day, you’ll be part of a mission like this too!
Stay curious, and keep looking up! 
Reference(s):
Europe's sun-studying Proba-3 mission lifts off on Indian rocket
cgtn.com
