India’s first solar mission, Aditya L1, aims to study the Sun and its effects on Earth and its atmosphere. As per ISRO, the Aditya-L1 will neither land on the Sun nor approach the Sun any closer. The Aditya-L1 spacecraft will be located about 1.5 million kilometers (930,000 miles) from Earth. Now, we know that the distance between the Sun and the Earth is about 150 million kilometers. This means that the distance between Aditya-L1 and the Sun will be about 148.5 million kilometers (925,000 miles), which is about 1% of the distance between the Sun and Earth.
The Aditya L1 spacecraft will carry a total of seven payloads to study the Sun’s corona, solar wind, and other aspects of the Sun-Earth system. The payloads will provide information on coronal heating, coronal mass ejections (CMEs), pre-flare and flare activities, space weather, and movement of particles and fields through space between the Sun and Earth.
The primary payload of the Aditya L1 mission is the Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC). It is a coronagraph, which will send 1,440 images of the Sun. These are the interesting facts about the Aditya L1 spacecraft. Let us also look at the top 10 most frequently asked questions (FAQs) about India’s first solar mission.
Also read: Which layer of the Sun will Aditya L1 study?
FAQs about Aditya L1 Mission
Q1. What is the Aditya L1 mission?
The Aditya L1 mission is the first space-based solar observation spacecraft by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). It will study to observe the photosphere, chromosphere, and the outermost layers of the Sun (the corona) using electromagnetic and particle detectors.
Q2. When will the Aditya L1 mission be launched?
The Aditya L1 mission is scheduled to be launched on September 2, 2023, at 11:50 AM IST by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on board a PSLV-C57 rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.
Q3. Is Aditya-L1 a satellite?
Yes, Aditya-L1 is a satellite. It is the first space-based solar observation spacecraft.
Q4. What is the orbit of the Aditya-L1 mission?
Aditya L1 will be placed in a halo orbit around the Sun-Earth Lagrange Point 1 (L1). L1 is a gravitationally stable point located about 1.5 million kilometers (930,000 miles) from Earth on the Sun-Earth line.
Q5. What are the scientific objectives of the Aditya L1 mission?
The Aditya-L1 mission aims to:
- Understanding the Coronal Heating and Solar Wind Acceleration.
- Understanding initiation of Coronal Mass Ejection (CME), flares and near-earth space weather.
- To understand coupling and dynamics of the solar atmosphere.
- To understand solar wind distribution and temperature anisotropy.
What is Aditya L1? All You Need To Know About India’s First Solar Mission
Q6. What are the major instruments on board the Aditya L1 spacecraft?
- Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC)
- Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT)
- Solar Low Energy X-ray Spectrometer (SoLEXS)
- High Energy L1 Orbiting X-ray Spectrometer (HEL1OS)
- Solar Wind Composition Spectrometer (SWICS)
- Solar Wind Electron Proton Alpha Monitor (SWEPAM)
- Magnetometer (MAG)
Q7. Who developed the Aditya-L1 satellite?
The Aditya L1 satellite was developed indigenously by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) in collaboration with academic institutions.
Q8. How long will the Aditya L1 mission last?
The Aditya L1 mission is expected to last for five years.
Q9. What is the cost of Aditya-L1 in Indian rupees?
The budget of the Aditya L1 mission is estimated to be around ₹500 crore (US$67 million).
Q10. Who is the head of the Aditya-L1 mission?
The principal scientist for the Aditya L1 mission is Dr. Sankarasubramanian K. He is a senior solar scientist who has worked on other ISRO missions, including Chandrayaan-1, Chandrayaan-2, and AstroSat.
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Source: vcmp.edu.vn