Aditya-L1 is a historic space mission initiated by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to study the sun. It will be India’s first space-based mission to observe the sun and its effects on the space weather in real-time. The mission aims to provide a better understanding of the solar activities and its impact on the Earth and its surroundings.
What is Aditya-L1?
Aditya-L1 is a spacecraft that will be placed in a halo orbit around the first Lagrange (L1) point of the Sun-Earth system, approximately 1.5 million km from the Earth. According to ISRO, the satellite placed in this halo orbit will have the advantage of continuously viewing the sun without any occultation or eclipses, making it an ideal location to observe the sun and its activities.
Science Objectives:
The mission has several science objectives, including the study of the solar upper atmospheric dynamics, chromospheric and coronal heating, physics of partially ionized plasma, initiation of coronal mass ejections, flares, and the in-situ particle and plasma environment. The data collected from the mission will help diagnose the coronal plasma temperature, velocity, density, magnetic field topology and drivers for space weather, and other crucial aspects of the sun and its impact on space weather.
Payloads Aboard Aditya-L1:
The Aditya-L1 spacecraft will carry seven payloads to observe various aspects of the sun, including the photosphere, chromosphere, and corona. The payloads will include a Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC), Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT), Solar Low Energy X-ray Spectrometer (SoLEXS), High Energy L1 Orbiting X-ray Spectrometer (HEL1OS), Aditya Solar Wind Particle Experiment (ASPEX), Plasma Analyser Package for Aditya (PAPA), and Advanced Tri-axial High-Resolution Digital Magnetometers. These payloads will provide crucial information on various aspects of the sun, including coronal heating, coronal mass ejections, pre-flare and flare activities, dynamics of space weather, and propagation of particles and fields.
Aditya-L1 is a groundbreaking mission that will provide new insights into the sun and its impact on space weather. The mission will use the latest technology to observe the sun and its activities, and the data collected will help scientists better understand the sun’s role in our solar system and its impact on the Earth. With ISRO expected to launch the mission in the second half of 2023, India is poised to make its mark in the field of solar physics and space weather.
