Proba-3 Achieves Precise Formation Flying

Coronagraph and the Occulter, Flew Autonomously 150 Meters Apart for Several Hours

The European Space Agency’s Proba-3 mission has achieved its ambitious goal when its two spacecraft, the Coronagraph and the Occulter, flew 150 meters (nearly 500 feet) apart in perfect formation, simulating a single giant spacecraft.

“The spacecraft measure and control their relative position using the Visual Based System, which includes a wide-angle ca…