Media Invitation: Come face to face with Sun-eclipsing Proba-3 in its cleanroom

On 3 April, Journalists are invited to see ESA’s Proba-3 dual-satellite mission in the cleanroom at Redwire Space near Antwerp, Belgium. The pair of satellites are currently undergoing final integration ahead of launch by a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) launcher from India in September.

Proba-3 is ESA’s – and the world’s – first precision formation-flying mission. A pair of satellites will fly together, maintaining a fixed configuration as if they were a single large rigid structure in space, to prove formation flying and rendezvous technologies.  

The mission will demonstrate formation flying in the context of a large-scale science experiment. Manoeuvring with millimetre-scale precision, one Proba-3 spacecraft will line up in front of the other, 144 m apart, to cast its shadow precisely onto the other. The shade provided by the first spacecraft will cover the fiery face of the Sun so that its faint surrounding ‘coronal’ atmosphere becomes visible. The enigmatic corona – much hotter than the Sun itself – is where space weather originates, a topic of widespread scientific and practical interest.   

On Earth, scientists must travel the world to position themselves for a brief glimpse of the Sun’s corona lasting just a few minutes at a time during total solar eclipses. However, the new cutting-edge technologies applied to Proba-3 mean that the mission will be able to create ‘solar eclipses on demand.’   

Proba-3 instruments will peer closer to the solar rim than was previously possible in space, for up to six hours during each approximately 19-hour orbit around Earth.   

During the visit, journalists are invited to participate in the following activities:   

• A briefing with ESA’s Proba-3 Project Manager. 
• A tour including viewing the satellites in the cleanroom, photo and video opportunities as well as on-site opportunities for insightful interviews. 
• A Proba-3 mission overview with experts from ESA and industry such as Redwire (BE) and Sener (ES), as well as mission scientists. 

ESA experts in attendance and available for interviews include:   

• Damien Galano – Proba-3 Project Manager (Languages: EN, FR)  
• Jorg Versluys – Proba-3 Project Team (Languages: EN, NL)  
• Esther Bastida - Proba-3 Project Team (Languages: EN, ES)  
• Raphael Rougeot - Proba-3 Project Team (Languages: EN, FR)  
• Teodor Bhozanov - Proba-3 Project Team (Languages: EN, Bulgarian) 

Additional spokespeople present include experts from industry and the science teams, including:   

• Frank Preud’homme, Business Development & Sales Director, Redwire (Languages: EN, NL, FR)  
• Akos Haasz, Project Manager, Proba 3, Redwire (Languages: EN and Hungarian)  
• Andrei Zhukov, Principal Investigator, Royal Observatory of Belgium (Languages: EN, FR)  
• Sylvie Benck, Principal Investigator for 3D Energetic Electron Spectrometer (3DEES), Center for Space Radiations, UCLouvain (Languages: EN, FR, DE)  
• Stanislav Borisov, Co-Principal Investigator 3D Energetic Electron Spectrometer (3DEES), Center for Space Radiations, UCLouvain (Languages: EN, FR, IT, RU)  

The schedule of the event is planned as follows:  

• 10:30-10:45: Media Check-in   
• 10:45am-11:05: Mission Overview and Clean Room Safety Briefing 
• 11:05-11:50: Media Tour inside the cleanroom with mission experts 
• 12:00pm-13:00: Media interview opportunities 
• 13:30-14:15: Proba-3 Press Conference. (Following remotely will be possible via the Redwire YouTube Channel) 
• 14:30-17:00: Networking reception  

A portfolio with photos, animations & video material will be provided on request, including An FAQ and mission facts. The event language will be English.  

Journalists can participate in the press conference either in person or remotely.  

Media Registration:    

To register and book slots for the cleanroom tour and interview (or following the press conference remotely), kindly express your interest to Tere Riley and Marta Lebron at Tere.Riley@redwirespace.com and marta.lebron@redwirespace.eu by 25 March at 17:00.  

In case of questions, you can contact them as well. 

How to get there: 

Address: Hoggenakkerhoekstraat 9, 9150 Kruibeke, Belgium  

Recommended transport: Car with parking available. Electrical chargers available in the area as well.   

Access and Security Guidelines: To ensure smooth entry, all attendees are kindly requested to submit their full name, email, and any nationalities they hold at least one week prior to the event. Please have a valid ID card on hand for identification. Journalists are kindly requested to focus their photography/videos exclusively on Proba-3. Photographs of other projects are permitted only with the approval of the Redwire MarComms Team. Your cooperation in adhering to these guidelines is greatly appreciated.  

Cleanroom Access: To get into the cleanroom, all cameras and instruments must be cleaned up (instructions and material to do so will be provided by Redwire). All individuals must wear a hairnet, coat, and shoe protection, with beard protection required for men. Individuals with long hair are advised to tie it up and no shorts or skirts are allowed in the cleanroom.