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Aditya L1 is the first Indian space-based mission to study the Sun. What are the payloads of the mission? Discuss the objectives of the Aditya L1
 
Introduction

A simple introduction to this answer can revolve around a general statement about Aditya L1

  • The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched Aditya L-1, the first Indian space-based mission to study the Sun, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.
  • The solar probe was carried into space by the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) in ‘XL’ configuration. SLV is one of the most reliable and versatile workhorse rockets of ISRO.
  • The PSLV will initially place the Aditya L-1 in a lower Earth orbit. Subsequently, the spacecraft’s orbit around the Earth will be raised multiple times before it is put on a path to a halo orbit around the L1 Lagrange point
Body

You may incorporate some of the following points in the body of your answer:

Payloads of the Mission

The spacecraft carries seven scientific payloads for systematic study of the Sun. All payloads are indigenously developed in collaboration with various ISRO Centres.

Visible Emission Line Coronagraph

  • It is designed to study solar corona and dynamics of coronal mass ejections.
  • The payload is developed by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bengaluru in close collaboration with ISRO.
  • VELC is the prime payload onboard Aditya-L1, designed as a reflective coronagraph with a multi-slit spectrograph.
  • Solar Ultra-violet Imaging Telescope (SUIT) to image the Solar Photosphere and Chromosphere in near Ultra-violet (UV) and, to measure the solar irradiance variations in near UV.
  • The payload is developed by Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Pune in close collaboration with ISRO.
  • SUIT is a UV telescope to image the solar disk in the near ultra-violet wavelength range.
  • Solar Low Energy X-ray Spectrometer (SoLEXS) and High Energy L1 Orbiting X-ray Spectrometer (HEL1OS) are designed to study the X-ray flares from the Sun over a wide X-ray energy range. Both these payloads are developed at U R Rao Satellite Centre, Bengaluru.
  • SoLEXS is a soft X-ray spectrometer onboard Aditya-L1. The payload is designed to measure the solar soft X-ray flux to study solar flares.
  • Aditya Solar Wind Particle Experiment (ASPEX) and Plasma Analyser Package for Aditya (PAPA) payloads are designed to study the solar wind and energetic ions, as well as their energy distribution.
  • Magnetometer payload is capable of measuring interplanetary magnetic fields at the L1 point. The payload is developed at Laboratory for Electro-Optics Systems, Bengaluru.

Objectives of the Aditya L-1

The main objective of the mission is to expand our knowledge of the Sun, and how its radiation, heat, flow of particles, and magnetic fields affect us. There are various other objectives that the mission will embark upon:

(i) To study the upper atmospheric layers of the Sun called chromosphere and corona. While the corona is the outermost layer, the chromosphere is just below it.

(ii) To examine coronal mass ejections (CMEs), which are large expulsions of plasma and magnetic fields from the Sun’s corona.

(iii) To analyse the corona’s magnetic field and the driver of the space weather.

(iv) To understand why the Sun’s not-so-bright corona is a million degree Celsius hot when the temperature on the surface of the Sun is just about 5,500 degree Celsius.

(v) To help scientists know the reasons behind the acceleration of particles on the Sun, which leads to the solar wind — the constant flow of particles from the Sun.

 

Conclusion

Your conclusion should be short. You may include:

According to ISRO, the Sun “emits radiation/light in nearly all wavelengths along with various energetic particles and magnetic fields. The atmosphere of the Earth as well as its magnetic field acts as a protective shield and blocks a number of harmful wavelength radiations including particles and fields.”

The mission hopes to generate user-friendly information that can help safeguard a range of satellite-dependent operations such as telecommunications, mobile-based Internet services, navigation, power grids, etc.

Among the five Lagrange points, L1 is the most favoured to get an unhindered view of the Sun. L2 is located behind the Earth, and thus obstructs the view of the Sun, while L3 is behind the Sun which is not a great position to communicate with Earth. L4 and L5 are good and stable locations, but are much farther from Earth compared to L1, which is directly between the Sun and the Earth.

 

Other Points to Consider

 

What is Halo Orbit?

What are Lagrange points?

What is space weather?

 

 

Previous Year Questions

1.India has achieved remarkable successes in unmanned space missions including the Chandrayaan and Mars Orbiter Mission, but has not ventured into manned space mission. What are the main obstacles to launching a manned space mission, both in terms of technology and logistics? Examine critically. (2017)

 

05-Sep 2023
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