European twin satellite mission bids to create total solar eclipse on demand [View all]

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2024/sep/28/european-twin-satellite-mission-bids-to-create-total-solar-eclipse-on-demand

European scientists are preparing to launch a space mission that has been designed to create total eclipses of the sun on demand.

The robot spacecraft Proba-3 will be launched by the European Space Agency (ESA) in a few weeks in a mission which will involve flying a pair of satellites in close formation round the Earth. They will be linked by lasers and light sensors, with one probe blocking the view of the sun as seen from the other craft. The effect will be to create solar eclipses that will last for several hours.

Observing these eclipses will revolutionise the study of the sun and understanding of how it can cause disruptions to power lines, GPS satellites and other earthly technologies, says ESA. The agency believes the mission will also act as a pathfinder for other formation spaceflights that could transform studies of gravitational waves, exoplanets and black holes.

Cool !!