Aditya-L1
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The ISRO project Aditya L1 is India’s first solar mission, which aims to study the Sun’s corona, photosphere, chromosphere, and solar wind1. The mission was launched on December 25, 2023 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, using a PSLV-XL rocket. The spacecraft reached its final orbit around the Lagrange point 1 (L1) on January 6, 2024, after performing four orbit-raising manoeuvres. The L1 point is a location where the gravity of the Earth and the Sun balance each other, allowing the spacecraft to maintain a constant view of the Sun.
The Aditya L1 spacecraft carries seven scientific payloads, which will observe various aspects of the Sun, such as its magnetic field, temperature, radiation, and particle flux1. The payloads are:
Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC): This is the main payload of the mission, which will create an artificial eclipse of the Sun and capture high-resolution images and spectra of the corona, the outermost layer of the Sun’s atmosphere.
Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT): This payload will image the Sun in the ultraviolet range, and measure the variations in the solar irradiance, which affects the Earth’s climate and space weather.
Solar Low Energy X-ray Spectrometer (SoLEXS): This payload will monitor the low-energy X-rays emitted by the Sun, which are indicators of solar flares and coronal mass ejections.
High Energy L1 Orbiting X-ray Spectrometer (HEL1OS): This payload will measure the high-energy X-rays from the Sun, which are associated with energetic solar events and cosmic rays.
Aditya Solar wind Particle Experiment (ASPEX): This payload will analyse the composition and energy distribution of the solar wind particles, such as protons and helium ions.
Plasma Analyser Package For Aditya (PAPA): This payload will study the properties of the solar wind plasma, such as electron density, temperature, and velocity.
Advanced Tri-axial High Resolution Digital Magnetometers: This payload will measure the in-situ magnetic field of the interplanetary medium around the spacecraft.
The mission is expected to last for at least five years, and provide valuable data and insights into the Sun’s dynamics and its influence on the Earth and the solar system. The project director of the mission is Nigar Shaji, a scientist at the UR Rao Satellite Centre, part of ISRO, in Bengaluru. She is the first woman to lead a major ISRO mission, and has been working in the space agency since 1987. She has said that there is no gender bias at ISRO, and only talent matters.