Sriharikota: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has announced the launch of its next big project, the Aditya L1 mission. The mission is scheduled to launch on August 26, 2023, aboard a PSLV-XL launch vehicle.
Aditya L1 is India’s first mission to study the Sun. It will be placed in a halo orbit around the Sun-Earth L1 Lagrange point, which is a point in space between the Sun and Earth where the gravitational forces of the two bodies cancel each other out. This will allow Aditya L1 to stay in a fixed position relative to the Sun, so that it can continuously observe the solar corona, the outermost layer of the Sun’s atmosphere.
The Aditya L1 mission has a number of scientific objectives, including; study the physics of the solar corona and its heating mechanism, understand the dynamics of solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs), study the origin and propagation of solar energetic particles, and improve our understanding of space weather and its impact on Earth.
Aditya L1 will carry a suite of seven scientific instruments, including; a coronagraph to image the solar corona in visible and near-infrared light, a spectrometer to study the composition and temperature of the solar corona, a magnetometer to measure the magnetic field of the solar corona, and an imager to study the solar photosphere and chromosphere.
The Aditya L1 mission is a major milestone for ISRO and for India’s space program. It is the first Indian mission dedicated to studying the Sun, and it will provide valuable insights into the Sun’s activity and its impact on Earth. The mission is also expected to boost India’s scientific and technological capabilities in the field of solar physics.
The launch of Aditya L1 is a significant event for India and for the world. It is a sign of India’s growing capabilities in space science and technology, and it will help us to better understand the Sun and its impact on our planet. ISRO is confident that the Aditya L1 mission will be a success, and it is looking forward to the scientific discoveries that it will make.