Fifteen years after its launch, the Proba-1 satellite is still going strong, the European Space Agency (ESA) has indicated. This demonstration satellite, intended for earth observation, was constructed for the ESA by the Belgian company QinetiQ Space nv.
Proba-1 was launched into space on October 22nd, 2001 using an Indian launcher PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle).
The intention, at the time, was to observe the earth by the most self-governing method possible, thanks to this innovative technology.
Although the observation mission of the first “Belgian” satellite has now come to an end, the observation instrument is indeed still functioning.
After Proba-1 came, firstly in 2009, Proba-2, intended for solar research, and in 2013, Proba-V, the objective of which was to transpose our planet's vegetation onto maps.
Proba-3, a mission to accurately fly in formation, is scheduled for 2019.
The Brussels Times
