The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) plans to launch its Aditya L1 solar mission today, September 2, 2023, at 11:50 IST from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota using ISRO’s PSLV XL rocket. ISRO noted that Aditya-L1 will not land on the Sun or come closer to it. The spacecraft will study the outer atmosphere of the Sun.
The spacecraft will carry seven payloads to observe the photosphere, chromosphere and outermost layers of the Sun (the corona) using electromagnetic and particle detectors. Placed at the special vantage point L1, four payloads will directly observe the Sun, and the remaining three payloads will conduct particle and field studies in situ at the L1 Lagrange point.
The Aditya L1 payload suit is expected to provide the most important information for understanding the problems of coronal heating, coronal mass ejection, preflare and flare activity and their characteristics, space weather dynamics, particle propagation studies, fields in the interplanetary medium, etc.
What is Aditya L1?
Aditya L1 is the first solar observation spacecraft to be placed in a halo orbit around the Sun-Earth Lagrange Point 1 (L1). The satellite will cover 1.5 million kilometers from Earth, which is about 4 times farther than the Moon.
Image: ISRO
L1 is a gravitationally stable point located about 1.5 million kilometers (930,000 miles) from Earth on the Sun-Earth line. This means that Aditya L1 will always be in the same relative position to the Sun and Earth, allowing it to continuously observe the Sun.
Which layer of the Sun will Aditya L1 study?
What is the Lagrange point P1?
Lagrange points are areas in space where the gravitational forces of two large bodies, such as the Sun and the Earth, balance each other out. For two-body gravitational systems, there are a total of five Lagrange points, labeled L1, L2, L3, L4 and L5. The Lagrange point L1 is located between the Sun-Earth line.
Image: ISRO
A satellite placed in a halo orbit around the L1 point has the great advantage of continuously observing the Sun without any occultation/eclipse. This will allow a greater advantage of continuous observation of solar activity.
What is Aditya L1? Everything you need to know about India’s first solar mission
How long will it take Aditya L1 to reach the Sun?
Aditya L1 is expected to take about 4 months from the time of launch from Earth to reach the L1 point. Here is the phase description of the trajectory of Aditya L1.
The path of Aditya L1
Image: ISRO
Launch from Earth: Initially, the spacecraft will be placed in low Earth orbit. Subsequently, the orbit will become more elliptical.
Launch towards L1 point: Later the spacecraft will be launched towards the Lagrange point (L1) using onboard propulsion. As the spacecraft travels toward L1, it will exit Earth’s gravitational sphere of influence (SOI).
Cruise Phase: After exiting the SOI, the Cruise Phase will begin.
Insertion into Halo Orbit: Finally, the spacecraft will be inserted into a large halo orbit around L1.
Explanation: What is a solar flare?
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Source: HIS Education