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Proba-2 (Project for On board Autonomy)

Why does the Proba-2 mission matter?

The Proba-2 mission will allow its users to test, in orbit, new technologies that are not mature enough to be initiated on operational missions. Launched as a secondary payload with the SMOS (Soil Moisture Ocean Salinity) satellite, its small size and simplified design has helped keep costs to a minimum. Proba-2 will test new technologies, while providing groundbreaking scientific data with the potential to expand understanding of the processes that affect our climate.

Among its many applications, the two-year mission is dedicated to surveying the behaviour of the sun, including its interaction with the Earth through the magnetosphere and its effects on space weather. This interaction can have important ramifications on communications and electrical infrastructure both on Earth and in orbit. A more thorough understanding of this process could better protect these critical systems and enhance future space exploration and the development of Earth-based technologies.