Aryabhata Research Institute for Observational Sciences (ARIES) will be hosting the support centre for the forthcoming Aditya-L1 mission, expected to launch in 2022. Located in Nainital, Uttarakhand, ARIES comes under the Department of Science & Technology and is an autonomous institute. The Aditya-L1 Mission marks India’s first scientific expedition to study the Sun and will be the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) following up to their first space-based astronomy mission, AstroSat, in 2015.
Aditya L1 is characterised as a 400 kg-class satellite by ISRO and will be launched using the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) in XL configuration. It is set to orbit around the L1 (Lagrangian point 1), which is 1.5 million km from the Earth. On board, the space-based observatory will carry seven payloads (instruments) to examine the Sun’s corona, solar emissions, solar winds and flares, and Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs). The observatory’s goal is to consistently image the Sun.
Roles of Aditya-L1 Support Centre (ASC)
The ASC’s primary objective is to provide researchers across India with the capability to analyse the scientific data collected from the Aditya-L1 mission. By doing so, the visibility of Aditya-L1 will extend beyond India at the international level. Additionally, it will monitor different features on the solar surface, including coronal holes, prominences, flares, CMEs, and sunspots.
Challenges Faced in Mission Execution
The mission must overcome several challenges, including managing the substantial distance between the Sun and Earth. Further difficulties arise due to the shifting components of Aditya L1, which heighten the risk of collision. Earlier ISRO missions have primarily remained stationary in space because of these risks. Other potential issues include handling extreme temperatures and radiation in the solar atmosphere.
The Significance of Studying the Sun
Every planet, including Earth and exoplanets outside the Solar System, undergo evolutionary changes influenced by their parent star. The Sun governs the weather across the entire system. Fluctuations in solar weather can affect the orbits of satellites or reduce their lifespan, disrupt or damage onboard electronics, and trigger power outages and other disturbances on Earth.
International Missions to the Sun
Efforts to study the sun extend beyond India. Examples include Japan’s Solar-C EUVST and NASA’s EZEI Mission and Parker Solar Probe. These missions aim to explore the solar wind, solar material eruption, Earth’s atmosphere, electric currents, and how energy and heat move through the Sun’s corona.
About Sun’s Corona, Solar Winds and Flares
The Sun’s corona is a plasma envelope that surrounds the Sun and other celestial bodies. Observed during a total solar eclipse, it extends millions of kilometres into space. Solar winds are a continuous stream of charged particles flowing out from the Sun. While Earth’s magnetic field offers protection from most of these winds, solar flares can cause high-energy particles to be released from the Sun, posing hazards to astronauts and satellites.
Coronal Mass Ejections
A Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) is a substantial release of plasma and accompanying magnetic field from the solar corona. Frequently following solar flares and present during solar prominence eruptions, this plasma releases into the solar wind and is observable in coronagraph imagery.
Lagrangian Point 1
Lagrangian Points are areas in space where the gravitational forces of a two-body system, such as the Sun and the Earth, create regions of enhanced attraction and repulsion. Fuel consumption necessary to maintain position is reduced for spacecraft at these points. The L1 point, situated about 1.5 million km from Earth, offers an unobstructed view of the Sun, providing an advantageous location for solar observation missions like Aditya-L1.
