India has been at the forefront of space exploration and is all set to launch Aditya L1 – its first ever space based mission to study the Sun. The mission will be launched in a halo orbit around the Lagrange Point 1 (L1) of the Sun-Earth system, located at a distance of 1.5 million kilometers from the Earth. This location gives Aditya L1 an edge over other satellites since it will have an uninterrupted view of the Sun without any eclipses or occultations.
Aditya L1 carries seven specialized payloads designed to study the photosphere, chromosphere and outermost layers of the Sun (the corona). These payloads use electromagnetic waves and particle and magnetic field detectors to observe solar activities and their effect on space weather in real time. The four direct viewing payloads allow for a closeup look at the Sun and the remaining three are in-situ studies that examine particles and fields at L1.
This mission provides a unique opportunity to understand more about the process of coronal heating, coronal mass ejections, flares, pre-flares and space weather. The results of Aditya L1 will help to better predict and prepare for potential space weather events that cause disruptions on Earth.
Through this mission, India will join a small list of countries with dedicated space-based solar observing missions. Scientists hope that Aditya L1 will provide unprecedented amounts of data, which could revolutionize our understanding of solar physics and its effects on space weather. It is also expected to lead to new advances in forecasting space weather conditions as well as providing crucial data for designing better spacecraft shielding against radiation damage.
Aditya L1 is thus an important mission that holds tremendous promise for advancing our understanding of the Sun and its influence on Earth’s environment. India has certainly taken a big step towards exploring more unknowns in space science with this mission and will be one of the leading countries in space research for years to come.
Exploring the Sun: Exploring the Science Objectives of Aditya-L1 Mission.
The first four payloads on board are focused on remote sensing, allowing us to observe the Sun’s surface and atmosphere in detail. The Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC) allows us to observe the corona and take imaging spectroscopy measurements, while the Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT) can take narrow and broadband images of the photosphere and chromosphere. The Solar Low Energy X-ray Spectrometer (SoLEXS) can take soft X-ray spectra from sun-as-a-star observations, while the High Energy L1 Orbiting X-ray Spectrometer (HEL1OS) takes hard X-ray spectra from sun-as-a-star observations.
The next three payloads are dedicated to in-situ measurements, allowing us to probe deeper into the Sun’s environment. The Aditya Solar wind Particle Experiment (ASPEX) measures solar wind particles such as protons and heavier ions with directions. The Plasma Analyser Package For Aditya (PAPA) looks at solar wind particles such as electrons and heavier ions with directions. Finally, Advanced Tri-axial High Resolution Digital Magnetometers measure magnetic fields in three dimensions (Bx, By and Bz).
All these instruments combined will give us a much better understanding of our star. We will be able to gain insight into its internal structure and dynamics, as well as how it interacts with other objects in space. It will also provide invaluable data for use in climate change research, since our climate is heavily influenced by solar activity.
