ISRO’s next stop – The Sun! Aditya-L1 Solar Mission to be launched on THIS date; All details about the solar odyssey here

Notably, this will mark the first dedicated Indian space mission for solar observation, orchestrated by the Indian Space Research Organisation.

Following the successful moon lander mission, ISRO is gearing up for another significant endeavour: the launch of a solar exploration mission. This mission, dubbed Aditya-L1, is designed to unravel the Sun’s mysteries. The Aditya-L1 spacecraft is engineered to provide both remote observations of the solar corona and in situ examinations of the solar wind at L1, the Sun-Earth Lagrangian point situated approximately 1.5 million kilometres from our planet.

Date of launch

Aditya-L1 mission is expected to be launched within a week, possibly on September 2, news agency PTI reported. Notably, this will mark the first dedicated Indian space mission for solar observation, orchestrated by the Indian Space Research Organisation.

Payloads aboard

With the objective of studying the Sun from an orbit encircling the L1 point, the Aditya-L1 mission is equipped with seven payloads. These instruments are tailored to observe various aspects of the Sun, including the photosphere, chromosphere, and the outermost layer, the corona, across different wavebands. Aditya-L1 embodies a fully indigenous effort, fostered by the active participation of national institutions, an ISRO official told PTI.

Under the leadership of the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) in Bengaluru, the Visible Emission Line Coronagraph payload spearheads the mission’s development. Similarly, the Solar Ultraviolet Imager payload is a product of the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics in Pune.

Aditya-L1’s capabilities are diverse and encompassing. It has the capacity to observe the corona and solar chromosphere using the UV payload, and to scrutinise solar flares through X-ray payloads. The integration of particle detectors and a magnetometer payload empowers the mission to provide insights into charged particles and the magnetic field enveloping the halo orbit around L1.

Having been constructed at the UR Rao Satellite Centre, the satellite arrived at ISRO’s spaceport in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, two weeks ago. An ISRO official has indicated that the launch is most likely scheduled for September 2, the PTI reported.

An uninterrupted view

The spacecraft’s trajectory is carefully charted to position it in a halo orbit around the L1 point of the Sun-Earth system. This strategic positioning offers a significant advantage: an uninterrupted view of the Sun, free from the hindrance of occultations or eclipses. ISRO emphasises that this vantage point enables continuous observations of solar activities and their influence on space weather in real-time.

Benefiting from this unique perspective, Aditya-L1 employs four payloads to directly observe the Sun, while the remaining three payloads engage in in situ studies of particles and fields within the L1 vicinity. This comprehensive approach promises pivotal scientific insights into the propagation of solar dynamics within the interplanetary medium.

Aditya-L1 Mission Objectives

ISRO underscores the mission’s significance, projecting that Aditya-L1’s payload suite will yield critical information to comprehend coronal heating, coronal mass ejections, pre-flare and flare activities, space weather dynamics, and the dissemination of particles and fields.

Exploring solar upper atmosphere

The primary scientific objectives of the Aditya-L1 mission encompass a thorough exploration of the dynamics within the solar upper atmosphere, including the chromosphere and corona. The mission also aims to decode processes such as chromospheric and coronal heating, the physics of partially ionised plasma, the initiation of coronal mass ejections and solar flares, alongside understanding the dynamics of solar wind particles through in situ observations.

Uncovering origins of Coronal Mass Ejections

This mission aspires to unravel the complex physics governing the solar corona and its heating mechanisms, while also furnishing diagnostics for plasma properties, encompassing temperature, velocity, and density within coronal loops. Furthermore, Aditya-L1 seeks to uncover the origins, dynamics, and development of Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs), as well as elucidate the sequence of events leading to solar eruptive phenomena across various atmospheric strata.

This ambitious undertaking also contributes to comprehending magnetic field topology and measurements within the solar corona, shedding light on the drivers behind space weather, including the origin, composition, and dynamics of solar wind. Aditya-L1’s suite of instruments is finely tuned to observe the solar atmosphere, with a focal point on the chromosphere and corona, while in situ instruments are attuned to analyse the local environment surrounding the L1 point.

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