ISRO's launch vehicle PSLV-C57 rocket carrying India's first solar mission, 'Aditya-L1', lifts off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, in Sriharikota.
Credit: PTI File Photo
Over a week after the successful launch of its lunar mission, India achieved another important milestone in scientific exploration of space, this time by launching its first space-based observatory to study the sun. The Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) Aditya-L1 lifted off aboard its heavy-duty PSLV rocket last Saturday and will be placed in a halo orbit around the Lagrange Point (L1) of the sun-earth system. A Lagrange Point is a spot in space where the nearest celestial entities’ gravitational forces cancel each other out. An object in space will remain in equilibrium at that point. It will take the solar probe vehicle four months to reach its observation point, which is about 1.5-million km from earth. A spacecraft in orbit around the L1 point gets a continuous clear view of the sun, which is not possible from the earth or even a low-earth orbit. Aditya will carry out round-the-clock imaging of the sun.
Aditya-L1 is designed to study the outer layers of the sun, its chromosphere and corona, and many solar processes and phenomena about which there is still little understanding. The physical properties and dynamics of the sun are very important for us. The spacecraft is carrying seven payloads, including remote-sensing instruments. Five of them were developed by ISRO, and the other two by academic institutions in collaboration with it. The studies will provide better information on space weather conditions, solar winds, solar flares and other phenomena. A better understanding of the processes on the sun and its environment can help in the working of communication and navigation systems which are influenced by the sun. It can also help in the study of other stars that are farther away. Life on earth and many natural and man-made support systems that aid and support it are crucially dependent on the sun. By studying the sun, we will get to know the earth better, too.
The spacecraft has been placed into orbit and has started its long journey. The successful launch of Aditya-L1 after the Chandrayaan-3 mission will further boost India’s position as a space-faring nation. India’s space ventures are also known for their low cost. NASA and the European Space Agency have also placed probe vehicles into solar orbit to study the sun. China and Japan have launched their spacecrafts and observatories, too. ISRO has also planned a number of other important missions, like Mangalyaan-2 to study Mars, and Gaganyaan, India’s first human space mission, in 2024. There is a mission to Venus, too, on the horizon. It is a proud calendar of aspirations and achievements for the country.