Solar Sojourn: Aditya-L1 Mission to the Sun

Aditya-L1mak

     

Aditya-L1 is the first observatory class space based solar mission from ISRO and India to explore and study sun, its unpredictable nature and solar corona. Adiya- L1 will be launched by ISRO to the L1(first lagrangian point) of the Sun-Earth system( Lagrange points are two bodies gravitational system or are the points in space where a small object tends to stay, if put there). The mission will be launched on 2 September- 2023 at 11:50AM IST from Shriharikota ISRO launch station. It will take 4 month to reach L1 orbit.

    The Sun is largest and nearest heavenly body in our solar system. The sun is ultimate source of energy. It is a source of very high temprature (around 15 million Degree Celsius), strong gravitational force, magnetic field, radiation and flow of particle (solar wind or high energy protons). The solar wind along with other explosive eruption events like coronal mass ejection(CME) affects nature of space. Earth's magnetic field and environment create a protective shield and block a number of dangerous emissions from the sun.

    Sometime dangerous field carried by CMS(coronal mass ejection) interacts with earth's magnetic field, can cause magnetic disturbances near the earth and in its atmosphere. Such disturbances can harm various spacecrafts, satellite systems, communication systems and electric grid systems on earth. Therefore, ISRO felt a need to study sun deeply to develop early warning system, so that we can protect our spacecrafts, satellites, communication system from dangerous emission from the sun.

Aditya-L1 Mission Objectives:

• To study Coronal Heating and Solar Wind Acceleration.
• To study initiation of Coronal Mass Ejection(CME), flares and near-earth space weather.
• To study coupling( Neutral motions, waves and radiations affected by the electrodynamical   processes) of the solar atmosphere.
• To study solar wind disrtibution and temprature Anisotropy(The property of temprature which   allow it to changes different properties in different directions)

Why It  Needed To Study Sun From Space?

    As already mentioned above that the Sun is ultimate source of energy, temprature, strong gravitational force, radiation, and flow of particle or solar wind or highly charged protons. Events like coronal mass ejection(CME) affects nature of space. Earth's magnetic field and its environment work as a protective shield and block a number of emissions form the sun, so that it is not practical to study sun from the earth. 

Aditya-L1 Mission is Unique:

There is so many reason why Aditya Mission is unique in its nature as ISRO mentioned.

• First time spatially resolved solar disk in the near UV band.
• CME dynamics close to the solar disk(～from 1.05 solar radius) and thereby providing information in the acceleration regime of CME which is not observed consistently.
• On board intelligence to detect CMEs and solar flares for optimised observations and data volume.
• Directional and energy anisotropy of solar wind using multi-direction observations.

Aditya-L1 Payloads:

    Aditya-L1 will carry 7 payloads with it, to do a number of  systametic study of sun. All the 7 payloads indigenously developed by different laboratories in India.

1- VELC(Visible Emission Line Coronagraph):

    To study the solar corona and dynamics of CME ( coronal mass ejection).

2- SUIT(Solar Ultra-violet Imaging Telescope):

    It will images the Solar Photosphere and Chromosphere in near Ultra-violet(UV) and also measures the solar irradiance variations in near UV.

3- ASPEX(Aditya Solar Wind Particle Experiment):

    To study the solar wind and energetic ions, as well as their energy distribution.

4- PAPA(Plasma Analyser Package for Aditya):

    To study the solar wind and energetic ions, as well as their energy distribution.

5- SoLEXS(Solar Low Energy X-ray Spectrometer):

    To study X-ray flares from the sun over a wide X-ray energy range.

6- HEL1OS(High Energy L1 Orbiting X-ray Spectrometer):

    To study X-ray flares from the sun over a wide X-ray energy range.

7- Magnetometer:

    To measuring interplanetary magnetic fields at the L1 point.

    India's Aditya-L1 and upcoming Gaganyaan and SPADEX mission surly will improvise our understanding about the Sun, its nature and our knowledge about the universe. And we are very sure that Indian space agency will make this world beautiful by helping and providing  new  understanding about the space.