Short, Long Essay Writing with All Details

India’s Solar Mission – ISRO’s Aditya L1 

Aditya L1 is India’s first solar mission. Developed by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Aditya L1 spacecraft will carry 7 instruments to study the Sun’s atmosphere. The mission is scheduled to launch on Saturday, September 2,  2023 at 11.50 am.

About Aditya L1

Aditya L1 will serve as India’s first space mission dedicated to examining the Sun. Positioned within a halo orbit encircling Lagrange point 1 (L1) in the Sun-Earth system, approximately 1.5 million kilometers from Earth, this spacecraft offers a distinct advantage by maintaining an uninterrupted view of the Sun, free from any eclipses. This unique vantage point enables real-time observations of solar activities and their influence on space weather.

The spacecraft carries a complement of seven payloads, each designed to scrutinize various aspects of the Sun, including the photosphere, chromosphere, and the outermost layer, known as the corona, using a combination of electromagnetic, particle, and magnetic field detectors. 

Positioned at the L1 point, four of these payloads have direct sightlines to the Sun, while the remaining three conduct in-situ investigations of particles and fields at Lagrange point L1. This invaluable research allows for a deeper understanding of the propagation of solar dynamics in the interplanetary medium.

Significance of Aditya L1

The Aditya L1 payloads are expected to yield crucial insights into several phenomena of the solar giant SUN, such as coronal heating, coronal mass ejections, pre-flare and flare activities, space weather dynamics, and the propagation of particles and fields. These findings will significantly contribute to our understanding of these complex solar processes.

Why is ISRO’s Aditya L1 Mission So Unique?

• 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.

Major Objectives of Aditya L1 Mission

• Understanding Coronal Heating and Solar Wind Acceleration.

• Understanding initiation of Coronal Mass Ejection (CME), flares and near-earth space weather.

• To understand coupling and dynamics of the solar atmosphere.

• To understand solar wind distribution and temperature anisotropy.

The Sun

Our Sun, the nearest star and the largest object in our solar system, is approximately 4.5 billion years old. It consists of hot, glowing hydrogen and helium gases and is located about 150 million kilometers away from Earth. The Sun is the primary source of energy for our solar system, and life on Earth relies on this solar energy. Additionally, the Sun’s gravitational force is responsible for holding all the objects in our solar system together.

The core of the Sun, situated at its central region, reaches incredibly high temperatures, around 15 million degrees Celsius, where a process known as nuclear fusion occurs, providing the Sun’s power. In contrast, the visible surface of the Sun, called the photosphere, is relatively cooler, with a temperature of approximately 5,500°C.

Why Is It Important To Study The Sun?

Studying the Sun, our nearest star, offers a unique opportunity to gain insights into stars not only in our Milky Way but also in other galaxies. The Sun is a highly dynamic star, exhibiting eruptive phenomena and releasing vast amounts of energy into the solar system. These solar eruptions, if directed towards Earth, can disrupt near-Earth space environments, affecting spacecraft and communication systems. Early warning systems are crucial to mitigate these potential disturbances.

Furthermore, exposure to such explosive solar events poses risks to astronauts. The Sun’s extreme thermal and magnetic phenomena provide a natural laboratory for studying processes that cannot be replicated in a controlled laboratory setting. Hence, studying the Sun serves both as a window into stellar behavior and as a means to understand extreme natural phenomena with practical implications for space exploration and communication.

Why Is It Important To Study The Sun From Space?

The Sun emits a wide range of radiation, including light across various wavelengths, energetic particles, and a magnetic field. Earth’s atmosphere and magnetic field act as protective barriers, blocking many harmful radiations, particles, and fields from reaching the planet’s surface. Consequently, instruments on Earth cannot detect these types of radiation, making it impossible to conduct solar studies based on them.

To overcome this limitation, scientists must conduct observations from outside Earth’s atmosphere, specifically from space. This approach enables the study of solar radiations and other phenomena that are inaccessible from the Earth’s surface. Additionally, to understand the behavior of solar wind particles and the Sun’s magnetic field as they travel through interplanetary space, measurements need to be taken from a location far removed from the influence of Earth’s magnetic field.

Type

Sl. No.

Payload

Capability

Remote Sensing Payloads

1

Visible Emission Line Coronagraph(VELC)

Corona/Imaging & Spectroscopy

2

Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT)

Photosphere and Chromosphere Imaging- Narrow & Broadband

3

Solar Low Energy X-ray Spectrometer (SoLEXS)

Soft X-ray spectrometer: Sun-as-a-star observation

4

High Energy L1 Orbiting X-ray Spectrometer(HEL1OS)

Hard X-ray spectrometer: Sun-as-a-star observation

In-situ Payloads

5

Aditya Solar wind Particle Experiment(ASPEX)

Solar wind/Particle Analyzer Protons & Heavier Ions with directions

6

Plasma Analyser Package For Aditya (PAPA)

Solar wind/Particle Analyzer Electrons & Heavier Ions with directions

7

Advanced Tri-axial High Resolution Digital Magnetometers

In-situ magnetic field (Bx, By and Bz).