ISRO successfully launched India's maiden solar mission, Aditya-L1, using the reliable Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) at 11.50 am on Saturday from the spaceport in Sriharikota, the countdown for which began yesterday.
The solar expedition comes close on the heels of ISRO's successful moon mission, Chandrayaan 3.
ALSO READ: What will happen to Chandrayaan-3's Pragyan rover and Vikram lander eventually?
Aditya-L1 is the first space-based observatory class to study the sun. The spacecraft, after travelling about 1.5 million km from the earth over 125 days, is expected to be placed in a halo orbit around the Lagrangian point L1 which is considered closest to the sun. This unique orbit offers Aditya-L1 an unobstructed view of the sun to study its dynamic activities.
How will the Aditya-L1 spacecraft be placed in the orbit?
Initially, the Aditya-L1 spacecraft would be placed in a low earth orbit. It would be made more elliptical and later the spacecraft will be launched towards the Lagrange point L1 by using on-board propulsion systems.
As the spacecraft travels towards L1, it will exit the earth's gravitational Sphere of Influence. After exit, the cruise phase will start and subsequently, the spacecraft will be injected into a large halo orbit around L1.
What's the objective of the Aditya-L1 mission?
The major objectives of the mission include understanding the coronal heating and solar wind acceleration, the initiation of coronal mass ejection, and near-earth space weather and the solar wind distribution.
According to ISRO, Aditya-L1 will conduct the following studies:
Study of solar upper atmospheric (chromosphere and corona) dynamics.
Study of chromospheric and coronal heating, physics of the partially ionized plasma, initiation of the coronal mass ejections, and flares
Observe the in-situ particle and plasma environment providing data for the study of particle dynamics from the sun.
Physics of solar corona and its heating mechanism.
Diagnostics of the coronal and coronal loops plasma: Temperature, velocity and density.
Development, dynamics and origin of CMEs.
Identify the sequence of processes that occur at multiple layers (chromosphere, base and extended corona) which eventually leads to solar eruptive events.
Magnetic field topology and magnetic field measurements in the solar corona.
Drivers for space weather (origin, composition and dynamics of solar wind.
What's the launch vehicle ISRO is using for Aditya-L1 mission?
ISRO scientists have used 'XL', the more powerful variant of the PSLV that would carry the spacecraft along with the seven payloads. Similar PSLV-XL variants were used in the Chandrayaan-1 mission in 2008 and the Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) in 2013.
What are the payloads Aditya-L1 mission will be carrying?
The mission will carry seven scientific payloads for the study, which will observe the photosphere, chromosphere and the corona of the sun using electromagnetic and particle and magnetic field detectors. Four of the seven payloads are remote sensing and can directly view the sun. The remaining three payloads carry out in-situ studies of particles and fields at L1, thus providing important scientific studies of the propagatory effect of solar dynamics in the interplanetary medium.
ALSO READ: Know all about Aditya-L1's seven payloads
How to livestream Aditya L1 launch?
The launch of ISRO's Aditya-L1 can be livestreamed on ISRO's official website isro.gov.in as well as its official YouTube channel and Facebook page on Saturday. DD National will also broadcast the historic event.
