Which ESA heliophysics mission, launched in February 2026, suffered an anomaly but had contact re-established in March 2026?

The ESA heliophysics mission that experienced an anomaly in February 2026 but had contact re-established in March 2026 is PROBA-3. This unique mission, launched in December 2024, consists of two separate satellites, the Coronagraph Spacecraft and the Occulter Spacecraft, designed to fly in precise formation approximately 150 meters apart. Their innovative setup allows the Occulter to block the sun's blinding light, creating a continuous artificial solar eclipse for the Coronagraph to observe the sun's faint corona in unprecedented detail.

This precise formation flying is a technological first for the European Space Agency, enabling scientists to study the sun's inner corona, a region typically only visible during rare natural solar eclipses. Observations from PROBA-3 are crucial for understanding the mysteries of the solar corona, such as why it is millions of degrees hotter than the sun's surface, and for improving our ability to predict space weather events like coronal mass ejections, which can impact Earth's technology and infrastructure.

The mission faced a significant challenge during the weekend of February 14–15, 2026, when the Coronagraph Spacecraft suffered an anomaly. This incident caused it to lose orientation and prevented it from entering safe mode, leading to a loss of contact with ground control. The spacecraft's solar panels were no longer facing the sun, causing its battery to drain and interrupting data transmission.

However, dedicated efforts by ESA mission teams paid off, and contact with the Coronagraph Spacecraft was successfully re-established by March 19, 2026. By March 26, 2026, the inter-satellite link between the two spacecraft had also been re-established. While the exact cause of the anomaly is still under investigation, the recovery of contact marks a significant step towards resuming the mission's groundbreaking heliophysics observations and demonstrating the resilience of space technology.