The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
Find out more about space activities in our 23 Member States, and understand how ESA works together with their national agencies, institutions and organisations.
Exploring our Solar System and unlocking the secrets of the Universe
Go to topicProtecting life and infrastructure on Earth and in orbit
Go to topicUsing space to benefit citizens and meet future challenges on Earth
Go to topicMaking space accessible and developing the technologies for the future
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Proba (Project for On-Board Autonomy) is ESA's small (100 kg) 3-axis-stabilised technology spacecraft designed to validate new spacecraft autonomy and control and data system technology in orbit. It is to be placed into a Sun-synchronous 825 km orbit as a passenger on India's PSLV launcher in 2000. The main payload, provided by Sira (UK) as an ESA Announcement of Opportunity (AO) instrument, is a compact imaging spectrometer (CHRIS) operating in the 450-1050 nm range, with a spectral resolution of about 10 nm, a spatial resolution of 25 m, and a swath width of 19 km. The spectral bands are selectable, and up to 20 can be acquired simultaneously. The total cost of the spacecraft, including launch, is 8 MECU, with the payloads and technology experiments worth a further 5 MECU. Proba's achievements include [Image Date: 1998] [98.09.001-001]