Proba-3’s ASPIICS coronagraph

Proba-3's coronagraph is called ASPIICS, which stands for Association of Spacecraft for Polarimetric and Imaging Investigation of the Corona of the Sun. The instrument is made of a large 1.4m diameter occulting disk mounted on the Occulter spacecraft, and a solar coronagraph system carried by the Coronagraph spacecraft. When the two satellites are co-aligned with the Sun, approximately 150 metres apart during formation flying, the occulting disk will produce an artificial eclipse by blocking the blinding body of the Sun.