SatNews The two spacecraft that comprise ESA’s Proba-3 mission for precise formation flying in orbit are now complete — all of the instruments and sensors that allow the satellites to maneuver to millimeter scale precision relative to one another have been integrated and the pair are fully wrapped in multi-layer insulation ready to be tested in simulated space conditions While Proba-3 is a technology-testing mission its main payload is a science instrument focused on the Sun which will produce unique data During the observation phase of their orbits the pair will form a straight line in space with the Sun exactly 144 m from each other so that the ‘Occulter’ spacecraft – equipped with a round disk – will cast a shadow onto the second ‘Coronagraph’ spacecraft By doing so the Occulter will block out the brilliant solar disk to allow the Coronagraph to image the wispy outer atmosphere of the Sun the corona is visible only for a few moments during rare solar eclipses but the availability of sustained observation should address many mysteries of the solar corona – including why it is a million degrees C hotter than the surface of the Sun that it radiates from Sustained observations will only be made possible by the spacecraft entering formation for a sustained period of time enabled in turn by an onboard suite of guidance and control methods The satellite pair will fly on a highly elongated (or ‘elliptical’) 19-1/2 hour orbit that will see them venture a maximum 6 0530 km away from Earth – performing observations at the top of each orbit to minimize gravitational and illumination effects from our planet they will be free flying with respect to one another the spacecraft will be shipped to IABG in Germany for the start of a four-month environmental test campaign simulating every aspect of the launch and space environments Proba-3 is due to be flown by PSLV launcher from India next year Proba-3 has contributions from across Europe but its main coronagraph instrument comes from Belgium’s Centre Spatial de Liège and its satellites have been integrated here at Redwire Space The satellite platforms meanwhile were designed by Airbus Defence and Space in Spain while Spain’s SENER company serves as prime contractor So these two countries are very much in the lead for the mission and this visit gave a chance for their delegations to see this milestone for themselves The latter will be guided by light emitting displays placed on the face of both spacecraft for the other to see In fact one of the reasons the spacecraft’s multi-layer insulation is black is to ensure maximum contrast with the onboard LEDs so the cameras can observe them clearly.” Ground and space observatories often incorporate Sun-blocking coronagraphs – the ESA-NASA SOHO spacecraft is one famous example – but their effectiveness is limited by light spilling around disk edges By hosting our coronagraph on a separate spacecraft we reduce diffraction and increase overall visibility of the Sun’s surroundings And looking closely at the Occulter’s edge shows it has been precisely curved to reduce diffraction effects still further.” Sorry, the page you were looking for could not be found. 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The latest engineering, electronics and technology advances The most comprehensive sci-tech news coverage on the web ​CategoriesCategoriesEnglishINNOVATIONESA launches Proba-3 satellites to simulate total solar eclipse5 December 2024 Two European Space Agency (ESA) satellites assembled and tested in Belgium were launched on Thursday and placed in elliptical orbit from India Their mission includes studying the sun’s outer atmosphere by simulating a full solar eclipse The launch had been scheduled to take place on Wednesday but had to be postponed for a day due to a technical problem The Proba-3 satellites were launched at 11.34 Belgian time using a polar satellite launch vehicle at the Indian Space Research Organization in Andhra Pradesh The vehicle has the power to place the combined 550kg satellites into orbit at a distance of up to 60,000km from Earth “This is a unique precision formation flight mission: the satellites will fly together maintaining a fixed configuration as if they were a single structure in space,” an ESA spokesperson said The pair will remain attached while initial commissioning takes place overseen from mission control at the European Space Security and Education Centre in Redu which were assembled and tested in Kruibeke will be oriented so that one blocks the sun from the other They will align with the sun while 144m apart to cast a shadow from one to the other creating artificial solar eclipses that reveal the sun’s faint outer atmosphere without being blinded by its brightness One will carry the optical telescope and the second will carry part of the coronagraph manufactured at the Centre Spatial de Liège The Royal Observatory of Belgium is overseeing the scientific operation of the ASPIICS (Association of Spacecraft for Polarimetric and Imaging Investigation of the Corona of the Sun) instrument which will allow unprecedented observation of the sun the radiating rings around the sun that appear during a solar eclipse This is where the solar storms occur that can disrupt Earth’s electronic infrastructure the solar corona is an important element of our solar system and the source of space weather and the solar wind,” said Andrei Zhukov of the Royal Observatory of Belgium the corona is not visible because the sun is too bright An eclipse normally lasts only a few minutes but the Proba-3 should make it possible to study the corona continuously for six to seven hours during each approximately 19-hour orbit around Earth Infrared view of the reflected laser beam during calibration testing carried out by ESA MDA and Centre Spatial de Liège personnel at Redwire Space in Kruibeke in February © PHOTO ESA / M PEDOUSSAUT / J VERSLUYS Copy linkGet updates in your mailboxYour email addressSubscribeBy clicking "Subscribe" I confirm I have read and agree to the Privacy Policy rapid and high-quality information 24 hours a day from Belgium and abroad to all Belgian media not to mention entertainment and lifestyle our journalists and press photographers produce hundreds of photos and news stories Since the end of March 2022 English has been added as a language businesses and various organisations that need reliable information Belga News Agency also offers a comprehensive range of corporate services to meet all their communication needs www.belganewsagency.eu through their spatial interpretation of this junction artists pieterjan gijs and arnout van vaerenbergh seek to restore a connection with history.  all images by matthijs van der burgt visitors are offered a new perspective on the vast nature reserve at the site of ‘arcade,’ a new flood dike forms part of the ‘kruibeke-bazel-rupelmonde’ controlled flood area while the dike provides protection against flooding and offers a sweeping view of the landscape it forms an obstruction that disrupts an age-old link between the village and the polder the dike disconnects the neighboring villages from the landscape gijs van vaerenbergh comment on the tense duality in their sculptural intervention: ‘arcade marks the historic connection between the village of bazel and the polder we visually and symbolically connect one side of the dyke with the other the artwork is located in the exact place where the original road turns into the new staircase on the dike.’ artist: gijs van vaerenbergh 
initiator: belgian nature and forest
 agency stability engineer: util struktuurstudies
 contractor: pylonen de kerf 
project partners: flemish waterways, Z33 – house for contemporary art photography: matthijs van der burgt AXOR presents three bathroom concepts that are not merely places of function but destinations in themselves — sanctuaries of style Pakistan bans Indian ships in retaliation for New Delhi's port sanctions Four Pakistani mountaineers launch high-altitude missions in Nepal Indo-Pak tensions' fallout on Kabul Church of Pakistan leads march backing armed forces Rain, thunderstorm predicted in Karachi today: PMD Weddings go on in Pakistan's Kashmir border Prince Harry: No way home Russell Brand appears in court on rape charges The fragrance of music Knee-jerk reaction for Kneecap Netflix's 'Eternaut' depicts fight against tyranny Maybe Happy Ending' leads Tony nominees Trump proposes cuts to renewables Businessmen slam tax ordinance Govt decides to replace PARC head Gold reigns supreme in times of crisis Direct Karachi-Skardu flight launched Ride-hailing service for EV transition Santa Ono, University of Michigan president, leaves role amid controversies WWII Spitfire plane crash lands in Kent field ahead of VE Day events Measles surge signals post-herd-immunity era in North America, experts warn Apple opens door to external payments after Epic Games court ruling Iran’s FM visits Islamabad amid Pak-Ind tensions Ozempic shows promise in reversing liver disease, research finds ​CategoriesCategoriesEnglishGENERAL, SOCIETYBeveren Waas chosen as new name for merged municipalities15 February 2024 From 2025 Beveren Waas will be the largest municipality in Flanders The merged municipality announced the new name on Thursday morning Kruibeke and Zwijndrecht will house nearly 87,000 people in an area of 200 square kilometres The merger was chosen in an online poll of residents of the three merged municipalities with 13,627 choosing Beveren Waas and 6,892 choosing Scheldewaas If the name is approved by the municipal councils involved and Beveren Waas will become the largest municipality in Flanders and the number of inhabitants is only exceeded by cities Beveren and Zwijndrecht has caused controversy in the last year 80 per cent of voters in Zwijndrecht rejected the merger but Zwijndrecht's municipal council gave the go-ahead for talks in October which is currently part of Antwerp province will be integrated into the province of East Flanders as part of the merger This will affect issues such as provincial taxes for families and businesses which are lower in East Flanders than in Antwerp #FlandersNewsService | Beveren © CTK PHOTO / KUPEC PETR Text description provided by the architects. This compact weekend house is being built on a slope in the rural surroundings of the River Scheldt. The shape of the bungalow follows the natural topography of the terrain. From the front door, a walkway leads through the house to the upper living spaces. Platforms line the route, which provides access points to the bedrooms and auxiliary areas. The living room features two picture windows, one of which faces east and the other west. The latter looks out over the nearby forest, while the former offers views across the adjacent terrace and the Scheldt valley. Floor PlanIt is a house that is both heavy and light. The graphic treatment of the facades lends a weightless appearance to the masonry, thereby creating the illusion that the building is draped across the incline. the terrace is a natural red and the interior is white You'll now receive updates based on what you follow Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors If you have done all of this and still can't find the email ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Navy saved nine crew members of an Indian vessel ‘Jamna Sagar’ an Indian sailing vessel ‘Jamna Sagar’ sank in the Arabian Sea near Gwadar with 10 crew members on board Pakistan Maritime Information Centre requested a nearby merchant ship MT Kruibeke to provide necessary assistance to the stranded crew of drowning sailing vessel The merchant ship eventually recovered nine crew members and continued voyage to its next port Dubai and onward disembarked the crew one Pakistan Navy Ship along with two helicopters also reached the area and located the body of one crew member who was earlier missing at the time of drowning of the sailing vessel The body was recovered and handed over to the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA) authorities for further proceedings The successful search and rescue operation by the Pakistan Navy is a practical manifestation of PN’s resolve for Safety of Life at Sea The spokesman said that Pakistan Navy always remains at the forefront in extending its support for any emergency search and rescue situation in its waters and beyond must be included in national decision-making Water data says normal flows remained above 30,000 cusecs per day Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi had met PM Modi Trump’s suggestion of possibly seeking third term has been sharply questioned by legal and constitutional scholars CM directed School Management Councils to provide necessary facilities in schools worth Rs10 billion within 90 days Victory propelled Karachi to second place in standings with 10 points pushing Islamabad to third and Lahore to fourth Copyright © 2025. The News International, All Rights Reserved | Contact Us | Authors was seriously injured in a road accident on the Antwerp-Ghent Motorway yesterday afternoon The woman’s car ended up underneath a truck’s trailer near Kruibeke and needed to be cut free by the emergency services Though seriously injured she is not flighting for her life The accident happened around 1:30PM on the Antwerp-bound carriageway when Chayenne drove into the back of a traffic jam Once freed from the wreck she was rushed to Middelheim Hospital in Antwerp organiser of the Miss Belgium beauty pageant says Chayenne is not in a critical condition but I heard she is not fighting for her life She has many bruises and her eye socket is fractured The most important thing is that she is not fighting for her life” It was Chayenne’s last week as Miss Belgium The final of the next Miss Belgium competition takes place in De Panne on Saturday because she really is a show animal and was really looking forward to it” says Darline “Chayenne was supposed to open the show with a song We’ve made a video clip and can broadcast that but it’s not the same as a live performance She was also to serve as the backstage presenter because she is totally bilingual We still need to find a solution for that!” Chayenne was also supposed to hand over her crown as is the custom Darline will have to stand in as she did during the pandemic