India's sun mission Aditya-L1 all set to enter final orbit today
PTC Web Desk: In a milestone achievement for India's space exploration, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is on the brink of positioning its Aditya-L1 spacecraft into its designated orbit around the Sun. After a journey spanning over four months from Sriharikota, the nearly 1,500-kg satellite, crafted at a cost of Rs 400 crore, is poised to become India's foremost space-based observatory dedicated to studying the Sun from a distance of approximately 1.5 million km. Expected to enter a halo orbit around Lagrange point 1 (L1) by 4 pm on Saturday, this strategic placement will allow uninterrupted surveillance of the Sun without interference from eclipses.
An ISRO official cautioned that this crucial maneuver aims to secure the satellite in its orbit to avert any unintended trajectory toward the Sun.
The primary focus of the Aditya-L1 mission is to monitor and forecast alterations in space weather, providing early warnings about solar storms and flares that could potentially disrupt satellite operations. Highlighting the significance of continuous solar monitoring, ISRO Chairman S Somanath emphasised the protection of India's assets worth Rs 50,000 crore in space, including over 50 operational satellites, against solar disturbances.
Armed with seven payloads, the satellite will conduct scientific experiments to delve into the layers of the Sun - the photosphere, chromosphere, and the corona - employing electromagnetic, particle, and magnetic field detectors. Beyond understanding solar weather phenomena, the mission aims to decipher pre-flare and flare activities, unraveling the dynamics of space weather.
ISRO delineated the mission's major scientific objectives, including studying solar atmospheric dynamics, plasma physics, and the origin of solar eruptive events. Additionally, it seeks to examine magnetic field topology in the solar corona and unravel the composition and dynamics of solar wind - crucial elements in forecasting space weather events.
The imminent positioning of Aditya-L1 into its designated orbit marks a significant leap forward in India's scientific prowess, promising profound insights into solar phenomena and bolstering efforts to safeguard vital space infrastructure
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