ESA's Proba-3 Formation-Flyer Goes Silent | KeepTrack Space Brief
ESA's Proba-3 spacecraft lost contact last month, grounding the dual-satellite solar eclipse mission. Formation flying between both craft is critical for coronagraph science.
Launch Date
March 8, 2001
Launch Site
FRGUI
Launch Pad
ELA3
Launch Vehicle
Ariane 5G
NORAD ID
26719
International Designator
2001-011A
Epoch
Fri, 03 Jul 2026 19:58:47 GMT
Apogee
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Perigee
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Inclination
7.42°
Right Ascension
67.18°
Eccentricity
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Argument of Perigee
322.35°
Period
1457.58 min
Mean Motion
0.99 rev/day
Latitude
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Longitude
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Altitude
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Velocity
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Name
EUTELSAT 133 WEST A
Alternative Name
Eurobird 1
Type
Status
Owner
EUTEL
Country
EUTELSAT
Constellation
N/A
Related Satellites
Major Events
N/A
1 26719U 01011A 26184.83249661 -.00000105 00000-0 00000-0 0 9995
2 26719 7.4211 67.1770 0005798 322.3482 23.8845 0.98793709 92545
Source: Celestrak
Length
3.5
Diameter
2.3
Span
29
Dry Mass
1300
Launch Mass
3050
Shape
Box + 2 Pan
Radar Cross Section
12.5012
Visual Magnitude
Unknown
Color
Unknown
Material Composition
Unknown
Payload
Eurobird
Purpose
Communication
Mission
Communication
Manufacturer
ALC
Life Expectancy
12 years
Bus
Spacebus 3000B2
Configuration
Spacebus-3000B2
Motor
S400
Equipment
24 (+ 6) Ku-band transponders
Power System
2 deployable solar arrays, batteries
ADCS
Unknown
Transmitter Frequency
Unknown
Learn more about satellites and other related topics.
ESA's Proba-3 spacecraft lost contact last month, grounding the dual-satellite solar eclipse mission. Formation flying between both craft is critical for coronagraph science.
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