ADITYA-L1 MISSION - SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

News: India’s first mission to study the Sun will be launched by June-July: ISRO chairman

 

What's in the news?

       The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) is planning to launch the Aditya-L1 mission by June or July this year.

       Aditya-L1 is the first Indian space mission to observe the Sun and the solar corona.

 

Key takeaways:

       The Aditya-L1 mission will be launched by ISRO to the L1 orbit (which is the first Lagrangian point of the Sun-Earth system). L1 orbit allows Aditya-L1 to look at the Sun continuously.

       In total Aditya-L1 has seven payloads, of which the primary payload is the Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC), designed and fabricated by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bengaluru.

 

Aditya-L1 Mission:

       The Aditya- L1 is a 400 kg-class satellite, which will be launched from the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-XL).

       The Aditya- L1 will be positioned near the L-1 (Lagrange Point 1) located between the Sun and the Earth.

       It is a joint venture between ISRO and physicists from other institutes of India.

 

Objectives of Mission:

       Study the dynamic nature of the sun's outermost layers, the corona and the chromosphere, and collect data about Coronal Mass Ejections (CME).

       Study on origin of solar storms and their path through the interplanetary space from the Sun to the Earth.

       The studies will also focus on collection of information for space weather prediction.

 

Features:

       It will study the sun’s outermost layers:

       Photosphere (soft and hard X-ray)

       Chromosphere (UV) and

       Corona (Visible and NIR)

       It will collect data about coronal mass ejection, which will also yield information for space weather prediction.

 

List of Payloads:

  1. Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC): To study the diagnostic parameters of solar corona and dynamics and origin of Coronal Mass Ejections, magnetic field measurement of solar corona.
  2. Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT): To image the spatially resolved Solar Photosphere and Chromosphere in near Ultraviolet (200-400 nm) and measure solar irradiance variations.
  3. Aditya Solar wind Particle Experiment (ASPEX): To study the variation of solar wind properties as well as its distribution and spectral characteristics.
  4. Plasma Analyser Package for Aditya (PAPA): To understand the composition of solar wind and its energy distribution
  5. Solar Low Energy X-ray Spectrometer (SoLEXS): To monitor the X-ray flares for studying the heating mechanism of the solar corona.
  6. High Energy L1 Orbiting X-ray Spectrometer (HEL1OS): To observe the dynamic events in the solar corona and provide an estimate of the energy used to accelerate the particles during the eruptive events.
  7. Magnetometer: To measure the magnitude and nature of the Interplanetary Magnetic Field.