The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched the European Space Agency (ESA) Probe 3 Spacecraft from the First Launch Pad, Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC-SHAR), Sriharikota Andhra Pradesh, on 5 December 2024.

The ESA Probe 3 was launched onboard ISRO’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) C-59.

The mission was to be launched on 4 December 2024, but it was postponed to 5 December 2024 due to technical issues.

It was NewSpace India Limited's (NSIL) second successful mission in a fortnight after the launch of the GSAT-20/ GSAT-N2 satellite aboard SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket.

Read about the successful launch of the GSAT-20/ GSAT-N2 satellite

NSIL’s ESA Probe 3 Mission

ISRO undertook the mission for NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), which entered into a contract with the ESA to launch the Europa Probe 3 spacecraft using the PSLV rocket.

NSIL was set up by the government of India in 2019 as an ISRO marketing arm. Its main job is to market ISRO's satellite launch capability worldwide and attract clients.

The PSLV rocket has emerged as one of the most reliable and cost-competitive launch vehicles in its category worldwide, with charges ranging from $18 million to $28 million per launch.

About the ESA Probe 3 Spacecraft

The ESA Probe 3 spacecraft is a technology demonstrator of the ESA.

The spacecraft has two satellites.

It is the world’s first precision formation-flying mission in which a pair of satellites will fly together, maintaining a fixed configuration as if they were a single large rigid structure in space.

The satellites will study the Sun’s corona, the Sun's outermost atmosphere.

About the PSLV Rocket

The PSLV is an ISRO’s medium-lift launch vehicle that can launch satellites weighing up to 1,750 kg into sun-synchronous polar orbits at 600 km altitude.

The PSLV C-59 is a third-generation launch vehicle of ISRO and is a four-stage rocket.

It is 44.5 meters tall.

PSLV has been ISRO's most successful launch vehicle, with a success ratio of 97 %. It had only two failures—in 1993, when it was being developed, and in the 2017 IRNSS mission.

About Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)

The government of India established the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on 15 August 1969.

It comes under the administrative control of the Department of Space, Government of India.

ISRO is the National Space Agency of India. Its prime goal is to develop and apply space technology to meet various national needs and encourage and promote science education.

Headquarters: Bengaluru

Chairman: S.Somnath