The Aditya-L1 satellite has arrived at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, for integration with the PSLV launch vehicle, despite the fact that the mission launch date has yet to be set.
Aditya-L1 Operation
- The primary goal of Aditya-L1 is to closely watch the Sun and obtain information about its corona, solar emissions, flares, solar winds, and Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs).
- For these scientific endeavours, the satellite is outfitted with seven innovative payloads.
- The mission offers continuous observation of the Sun, allowing us new insight into its behaviour and impacts.
The importance of the mission
- Solar Influence: Every celestial body, including Earth and distant exoplanets, is inextricably tied to its parent star. The weather and climate of the Sun have a significant impact on the entire solar system.
- Variations in solar activity can interrupt satellite orbits, damage electronics, cause power outages, and cause disturbances on Earth. Understanding and predicting space weather phenomena requires accurate knowledge of solar occurrences.
L1 Lagrange Point Advantage
- Continuous Solar Observations: Because Aditya-L1 will be located at the Lagrangian Point 1 (L1), approximately 1.5 million kilometres from Earth, it will be uniquely positioned to view the Sun without interference from occultation or eclipses. L1 is an orbital location where gravity forces form stable zones of attraction and repulsion.
- The Importance of L1: The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory Satellite (SOHO), which is based at L1, has enabled groundbreaking solar research. The observations of Aditya-L1 will help us gain a better understanding of solar behaviour.
When compared to international missions
- While NASA’s Parker Solar Probe has gotten closer to the Sun, Aditya-L1 will concentrate on direct solar observations from a greater distance.
- Many sensors and components for Aditya-L1 are being developed for the first time in India, posing both a challenge and an opportunity for the country’s scientific and engineering community.
Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-sci-tech/what-is-isro-aditya-l1-mission-8892308/#:~:text=Isro%20tweeted%2C%20%E2%80%9CPSLV%2DC57,SDSC%2DSHAR%2C%20Sriharikota.%E2%80%9D