India’s solar mission, Aditya L1, has initiated the examination of energetic particles in the solar wind from space, facilitated by the Supra Thermal & Energetic Particle Spectrometer (STEPS) instrument. STEPS is a component of the Aditya Solar Wind Particle Experiment (ASPEX) payload on the spacecraft. It serves the purpose of observing energetic particles in the space environment from Aditya L1’s position at the L1 point. The data collected by STEPS will contribute to the understanding of space weather changes. Comprising six sensors, it measures supra-thermal and energetic ions in various directions. The instrument was developed by the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) with support from the Space Application Centre (SAC) in Ahmedabad.
Facts/Terms for UPSC Prelims
- Coronagraphy Spacecraft: Aditya L1 is designed to observe the solar atmosphere, specifically the outermost part known as the solar corona, making it a coronagraphy spacecraft.
- PSLV-XL Launch Vehicle: Aditya L1 is scheduled to be launched aboard a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) variant known as PSLV-XL, capable of carrying heavier payloads to orbit.
- Coronal Heating: A phenomenon in solar science where the solar corona is significantly hotter than the surface of the Sun, yet the cause of this heating remains a scientific mystery.
- Coronal Mass Ejection (CME): A massive burst of solar wind and magnetic fields from the solar corona that can disrupt satellite communications, power grids, and affect space weather on Earth.
- Space Weather: The conditions on the Sun and in the solar wind, magnetosphere, ionosphere, and thermosphere that can influence the performance and reliability of space-borne and ground-based technological systems and endanger human life or health. Aditya L1 aims to study and understand these phenomena.
