Proba in-orbit artist's impression

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]