India’s Aditya L1 mission crosses a major milestone

Aditya-L1 Mission:

🔸The spacecraft has travelled beyond a distance of 9.2 lakh kilometres from Earth, successfully escaping the sphere of Earth's influence. It is now navigating its path towards the Sun-Earth Lagrange Point 1 (L1).

🔸This is the second time in succession that…

— ISRO (@isro) September 30, 2023

The mission’s chief scientist, Dr. Sanaka Subramanian, said that Aditya L1 will provide unprecedented data on various aspects of the Sun that have not been studied by any other mission before. He added that the mission was designed with the aim of advancing our understanding of solar physics and its impact on the Earth’s environment.

The spacecraft carries seven scientific instruments that will observe and measure different phenomena related to the Sun. These include the solar corona, which is the outermost layer of the Sun’s atmosphere that emits intense radiation; the solar wind, which is a stream of charged particles that flows from the Sun; and the coronal mass ejections and solar flares, which are explosive events that can affect the space weather and disrupt communication systems on Earth.

The primary objectives of Aditya L1 are to study the mechanisms of coronal heating, solar wind acceleration, coupling and dynamics of the solar atmosphere, distribution and temperature anisotropy of the solar wind, and origin and effects of coronal mass ejections and solar flares.

Aditya L1 is expected to reach its orbit around L1 by January 2024 and begin its scientific operations soon after. The mission will have a nominal lifespan of five years, but it could be extended depending on its performance and health. ISRO hopes that Aditya L1 will enhance our knowledge of the Sun and its influence on our planet.

On the other side

India has been making remarkable strides in space exploration, especially in the field of lunar and solar missions. In August 2023, India achieved a historic feat by becoming the first country to land a craft near the lunar south pole, a region that holds potential clues about the origin and evolution of the moon. The craft, named Chandrayaan-3, was also the fourth successful lunar landing by any nation, after the US, Russia, and China.

The mission consisted of an orbiter, a lander, and a rover. The rover, named Pragyan, explored the surroundings of the landing site and collected data on the lunar soil and rocks. However, it had to be switched off before the onset of the lunar night, which is equivalent to 14 Earth days. The rover was powered by solar panels, and India hoped to revive it once the sun rose again on the moon. But despite several attempts, ISRO could not establish contact with Pragyan.

ISRO chief S. Somanath said that the rover had accomplished its objectives and that losing communication with it was not a major setback. He said that the orbiter was still functioning well and would continue to provide valuable information about the moon for at least a year.