{
  "abstract": "We describe the scientific objectives and instrument design of the ASPIICS coronagraph aboard the Proba-3 mission of the European Space Agency launched on 5 December 2024. Proba-3 consists of two spacecraft in a highly elliptical orbit around the Earth. One spacecraft carries the telescope, and the external occulter is mounted on the second spacecraft. The two spacecraft fly in a precise formation during 6 hours of a 19.63 hour orbit, together forming a giant solar coronagraph called ASPIICS (Association of Spacecraft for Polarimetric and Imaging Investigation of the Corona of the Sun). The very long distance between the external occulter and the telescope (around 144 m) represents an increase of two orders of magnitude compared to classical externally occulted solar coronagraphs. This allows the inner corona to be observed in eclipse-like conditions, i.e., close to the solar limb (down to 1.099 R ⊙ ) and with very little stray light. ASPIICS provides a new perspective on the inner solar corona that will help solve several outstanding problems in solar physics, such as the origin of the slow solar wind and the physical mechanism of coronal mass ejections.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Solar-Terrestrial Centre of Excellence – SIDC, Royal Observatory of Belgium",
    "Centre Spatial de Liège, Université de Liège",
    "European Space Research and Technology Centre, European Space Agency",
    "Laboratoire Atmosphères et Observations Spatiales",
    "National Institute for Astrophysics, Astrophysical Observatory of Torino, Pino Torinese",
    "Astronomical Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences",
    "Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research",
    "Institute of Geodynamics of the Romanian Academy",
    "Astronomical Institute, University of Wrocław",
    "University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis",
    "Institut d’Astrophysique de Paris",
    "Applied Physics Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University",
    "IRFM, CEA",
    "Université Côte d’Azur, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur",
    "Centrum Badań Kosmicznych Polskiej Akademii Nauk",
    "Astronomical Institute of the Romanian Academy",
    "Onsemi, Cork",
    "National Institute for Research & Development in Microtechnologies",
    "PCO S.A",
    "Southwest Research Institute, Boulder",
    "N7 Space Sp. z o. o",
    "High Altitude Observatory, National Center for Atmospheric Research",
    "Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics",
    "Faculty of Education, University of Ljubljana",
    "Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, University of Ljubljana",
    "Center for mathematical Plasma Astrophysics, KU Leuven",
    "Faculty of Sciences, Porto University",
    "Institute of Plasma Physics ASCR v.v.i. (TOPTEC)",
    "Serenum a.s"
  ],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 70,
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      "name": "Cédric Thizy"
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      "name": "C. Jean"
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      "name": "O. Buiu",
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      "name": "Aline Hermans"
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      "name": "Michal Mosdorf"
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  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/75sht5y6w7wsk.bib",
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  "doi": "10.1051/0004-6361/202557026",
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  "published": "2026-07-31",
  "publisher": "EDP Sciences",
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  "subjects": [
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      "field": "astronomy",
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      "subfield": "stellar"
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  "title": "The ASPIICS solar coronagraph aboard the Proba-3 formation flying mission",
  "title_text": "The ASPIICS solar coronagraph aboard the Proba-3 formation flying mission",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-07T13:20:45Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/75sht5y6w7wsk",
  "venue": "Astronomy & Astrophysics - A&A",
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