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ADITYA L1 Mission

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  • Introduction:

    1. Name Origin: Aditya, meaning Sun in Sanskrit, signifies the mission's focus on studying the Sun.
    2. Launch Vehicle: PSLV-XL.
    3. Type: It is India's first space-based solar mission and the second observatory mission but the first dedicated solar mission.

  • Mission Details:

    1. Payloads:
      1. VELC (Visible Light Emission Coronagraph)
      2. SUIT (Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope)
      3. SoLEXS (Solar Low Energy X-ray Spectrometer)
      4. ASPEX (Aditya Solar wind Particle Experiment)
      5. HEL1OS (High Energy L1 Orbiting X-ray Spectrometer)
      6. PAPA (Plasma Analyser Package for Aditya)
      7. Advanced Tri-axial High Resolution Digital Magnetometers
    2. Orbit: Placed in Lagrange L1 orbit.

  • Mission Objectives:

    1. To study the Sun's corona, photosphere, chromosphere, solar emissions, solar winds, and flares.
    2. To investigate Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs).
    3. To carry out round-the-clock imaging of the Sun.

  • Location & Advantage:

    1. Positioned at the L1 point of the Earth-Sun system, providing an uninterrupted view of the Sun.
    2. The L1 point is advantageous as orbit corrections and fuel requirements needed to maintain desired orbits are minimum.

  • Lagrange Point

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  • Comparative Solar Missions:

    1. Parker Solar Probe (NASA):
      • Aims to trace how energy and heat move through the Sun’s corona.
      • Studies the source of the solar wind’s acceleration.
    2. Helios 2 Solar Probe:
      • A joint venture between NASA and the space agency of erstwhile West Germany.
      • Went within 43 million km of the Sun’s surface in 1976.
    3. Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) (ESA & NASA):
      • Placed near the L1 point.
      • Studies the Sun and its deep core.

  • Additional Notes:

    Comparative Missions & Definitions:

    • Fastest Man-Made Object: Parker Solar Probe.
    • James Webb Space Telescope (JWST): Positioned at Lagrange L2 point and operates in Infrared.

    Details of the Sun:

    • Biggest Solar Storm: Occurred in 1856.
    • Sun Spots: Temporary spots on the Sun's photosphere that are darker than the surrounding areas.