ESA's Proba-3 : Precision Formation Flying for Artificial Solar Eclipses/Solar Study

[gary]

The European Space Agency plans to launch the Proba-3 mission, aiming to demonstrate precise formation flying in orbit to create artificial solar eclipses.

Consisting of two spacecraft, the mission seeks to achieve a formation allowing one craft to study the Sun's atmosphere while the other blocks its light.

This technology could pave the way for advanced space missions, including planet detection and large-scale observatories.

Success would showcase breakthroughs in guidance, navigation, and control, opening doors to various future space endeavors.

Story here by Andrew Jones at IEEE Spectrum :-
https://spectrum.ieee.org/satellite-constellation-formation-flying-esa

[Peter Ward]

Cool. One wonders how precisely the occulting craft will be able to be positioned.
Revealing the chromosphere would require arc second angular precision....then again solar wind buffeting is probably moot :)