Observing the solar corona with the PROBA-3/ASPIICS coronagraph from 1.1 to 3 solar radii

Proba-3 is a mission dedicated to the in-flight demonstration of precise formation flying techniques and technologies, launched on 5 December 2024. The Proba-3 mission consists of two small satellites in a highly elliptical orbit around the Earth. During observation campaigns around the orbit apogee, the two satellites fly in a precise formation, producing a very long baseline solar coronagraph called ASPIICS (Association of Spacecraft for Polarimetric and Imaging Investigation of the Corona of the Sun). One spacecraft carries the optical telescope, and the second spacecraft carries the external occulter of the coronagraph. The inter-satellite distance of around 144 m allows observing the inner corona in eclipse-like conditions, i.e. close to the solar limb and with very low straylight, in different channels: white light (total brightness), Fe XIV (530.45 nm), He I (587.72 nm) and polarisation. The first results of ASPIICS will be presented, and synergies with other missions observing the corona will be discussed.