PSLV-C57/Aditya-L1 Mission:

The launch of Aditya-L1 by PSLV-C57 is accomplished successfully.The vehicle has placed the satellite precisely into its intended orbit.India’s first solar observatory has begun its journey to the destination of Sun-Earth L1 point.

Objective

Aditya L1 is the first space-based Indian mission to study the Sun.It was launched by the PSLV-XL launch vehicle.The spacecraft shall be placed in a halo orbit around the Lagrange point 1 (L1) of the Sun-Earth system, which is about 1.5 million km from the Earth.A satellite placed in the halo orbit around the L1 point has the major advantage of continuously viewing the Sun without any occultation/eclipses.This will provide a greater advantage in observing solar activities and their effect on space weather in real-time. The spacecraft carries seven payloads to observe the photosphere, chromosphere and the outermost layers of the Sun (the corona) using electromagnetic and particle and magnetic field detectors.

What is the Lagrange point 1?

✅A Lagrange pointis a position in space where the gravitational pull of two large masses precisely equals the centripetal force required for a small object to move with them.

✅i.e., at that point, the gravitational attraction and repulsion between two heavenly bodies is such that an object placed between them will effectively stay in the same relative position while moving with them.

✅These points in space can be used by spacecraft to reduce fuel consumption needed to remain in position.

✅The Lagrange points are named in honour of Italian-French mathematician Josephy-Louis Lagrange, and there are five of them: L1, L2, L3, L4, and L5.

✅L1 point of the Earth-Sun system affords an uninterrupted view of the Sun.

✅It is currently home to the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory Satellite SOHO.

✅NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope is at L2.

✅According to ISRO, the Aditya L1 spacecraft will be placed in a halo orbit around the Lagrange point 1 (L1) of the Sun-Earth system.

✅A satellite placed in the halo orbit around the L1 point has the major advantage of continuously viewing the Sun without any occultation/eclipses.

Aditya-L1 Support Cell (AL1SC)

✅ A community service centre has been set up to bring all data on board India’s first dedicated solar space mission to a single web-based interface enabling the users to quickly look at the data and identify the interesting science cases.

✅ The community service centre is called Aditya-L1 Support Cell (AL1SC).

✅ It is a joint effort of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES), an autonomous institute of the Department of Science & Technology, Government of India.

✅ It will be used by the guest observers in analyzing science data and preparing science observing proposals.

✅ AL1SC set up at the transit campus of ARIES at Haldwani, Uttarakhand, will jointly work with ISRO to maximize utilization of science data from Aditya-L1 and facilitate India’s first dedicated solar space mission,Aditya-L1.

✅ The centre will act as conduit between the users (student and faculty members from research institutes/universities/colleges, etc.) and payload teams of Aditya-L1 and the solar astronomy research community at large.

✅ It is slated to develop specific tools to assist guest observers/researchers to prepare observing proposals for Aditya-L1 observations and will assist ISRO with the design and development of the required analysis software for handling scientific data.

✅ The centre will also provide the co-aligned data from other observatories around the world that can complement the data obtained from Aditya-L1 allowing users to accomplish the science goals beyond the capabilities of the Aditya-L1.

✅ In addition to this, AL1SC will also build capacity by establishing periodic training of the national user community on data analysis and proposal preparation.

Summary

  • Aditya-L1 Mission is India’s first solar mission planned by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
  • Earlier the name was Aditya -1, which has been renamed as Aditya-L1 Mission.
  • The objective of Aditya L1 mission is to study Sun’s Corona, Chromosphere and Photosphere. In addition, it will study the particle flux emanating from Sun, and the variation of magnetic field strength.
  • It was launched using the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) XL
  • Unlike other missions lead by ISRO, Mission Aditya L1 comprises few moving components which may be a cause of collision in space Given below is a list of payloads which have been used for the mission:
  • 1. Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC)
  • 2. Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT)
  • 3. Aditya Solar wind Particle Experiment (ASPEX)
  • 4. Plasma Analyser Package for Aditya
  • 5. Solar Low Energy X-ray Spectrometer (SoLEXS)
  • 6. High Energy L1 Orbiting X-ray Spectrometer (HEL1OS)
  • 7. Magnetometer
    • ✅The main objective of the Aditya L1 Mission is that it will help in tracking Earth-directed storms and predict its impact through solar observations.

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