Isro successfully launches Aditya L1 mission to unravel secrets of the Sun

Mangalore Today News Network

September 02, 2023: In a significant milestone for India’s space exploration, the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) successfully launched its first solar observatory mission dedicated tp study the Sun, Aditya-L1, on Saturday.

The launch took place at 11:50 am IST from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.

 

Aditya-L1 is India’s pioneering mission to study the Sun and its dynamic activities. The spacecraft will travel approximately 1.5 million kilometers from Earth to position itself in a halo orbit around the Lagrange point 1 (L1) of the Sun-Earth system.

This strategic location will allow the satellite to continuously observe the Sun without any eclipses, providing real-time data on solar activities and their effects on space weather.

The mission carries seven scientific instruments designed to investigate various aspects of the Sun’s behavior. These include the Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC), Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT), Aditya Solar wind Particle Experiment (ASPEX), and a Plasma Analyser Package for Aditya (PAPA).

These instruments will provide multi-wavelength observations of the Sun’s atmosphere, from the photosphere to the corona, enabling scientists to trace the flow of energy and matter between different layers.

One of the key objectives of the Aditya-L1 mission is to unravel the mystery of the Sun’s corona, which is significantly hotter than its surface. By closely examining the behaviour of the corona, scientists hope to understand the mechanisms responsible for heating this outer layer of the Sun.

Additionally, the mission aims to provide insights into the processes that lead to solar flares, coronal mass ejections (CMEs), and solar energetic particle (SEP) events.

These insights can contribute to more accurate forecasting of space weather phenomena and their potential effects on communication systems, satellites, and power grids.

The mission also seeks to understand how the Sun’s radiation affects Earth’s climate over long timescales.

Observations of near-UV solar radiation and its impact on Earth’s upper atmosphere can contribute to understanding how solar variability might affect Earth’s climate patterns.

The successful launch of Aditya-L1 marks a significant step forward in India’s space exploration endeavors.

The mission is expected to provide groundbreaking discoveries and insights in the field of solar and heliophysics, enhancing our understanding of the Sun’s behavior and its interactions with Earth and the space environment.

Courtesy: India Today