The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is gearing up to embark on a journey to study the Sun, following the recent Chandrayaan-3 endeavour. Aditya L1, a pioneering Indian space mission, will study the sun. The spacecraft will be strategically placed in a halo orbit around Lagrange Point 1 (L1) within the Sun-Earth system, approximately 1.5 million km away from Earth.
Just last month, on July 14, ISRO successfully launched the Chandrayaan-3 mission with the objective of achieving a soft landing for its rover on the Moon’s southern hemisphere. The spacecraft has already entered lunar orbit, and plans are in motion to launch the lander, anticipated to descend around August 20, ultimately touching down on August 23.
ADITYA L 1
The Aditya L1 mission carries a paramount purpose of observing solar activities and their impact on space weather in real-time. By situating a satellite in the halo orbit around the L1 point, the mission capitalizes on a remarkable advantage—uninterrupted visibility of the Sun without any disruptions caused by eclipses or occultations.
Aboard the spacecraft are seven cutting-edge payloads designed to observe various aspects of the Sun, including the photosphere, chromosphere, and the enigmatic outermost layer, the corona. These observations will be facilitated through electromagnetic, particle, and magnetic field detectors.
Four of the payloads are strategically positioned to directly capture the Sun’s characteristics, while the remaining three payloads engage in on-site studies of particles and fields at Lagrange Point L1. This innovative approach promises significant scientific insights into the dynamics of solar phenomena within the interplanetary medium.
The Aditya L1 mission is expected to yield pivotal information on a range of topics, including coronal heating, coronal mass ejections, pre-flare and flare activities, space weather dynamics, and the propagation of particles and fields. ISRO has outlined its launch strategy, intending to utilize a PSLV rocket for liftoff from the Sathish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR (SDSC SHAR) in Sriharikota.
Commencing in a low Earth orbit, the spacecraft’s trajectory will gradually transform into a more elliptical path. This strategic adjustment will pave the way for the spacecraft’s propulsion towards the L1 point, facilitated by onboard propulsion systems. Anticipated to take around 4 months, the journey to the L1 point represents a critical characteristic of the mission, significantly enhancing the real-time monitoring capabilities of solar activities and their intricate connection to space weather phenomena.
