More Solar Missions Launched as Sun’s Activity Peaks

Source: The post More Solar Missions Launched as Sun’s Activity Peaks has been created, based on the article “NASA’s PUNCH set to lift off: Why there has been an increase in the launch of solar missions” published in “Indian Express” on 5th March 2025.

UPSC Syllabus Topic: GS Paper3-Science and technology-Awareness in the fields of Space.

Context: The article talks about the increase in solar missions due to the current solar cycle nearing its peak. It mentions three missions: India’s Aditya L1, ESA’s Proba-3, and NASA’s PUNCH, aimed at studying the Sun’s activity and effects.

For detailed information on Space sector in India read this article here

What is the solar cycle and why is it important?

1. The solar cycle is an 11-year period during which the Sun’s magnetic field completely flips, causing its north and south poles to switch places.
2. This cycle has two main phases: the solar maximum (most active) and the solar minimum(least active).
3. During the solar maximum, the Sun has more sunspots and can send out stronger and more frequent solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs).
4. These eruptions can disrupt satellite communications and affect electricity grids on Earth.
5. Scientists track the cycle by counting sunspots.

Why are more solar missions being launched now?

1. Current solar activities suggest that this cycle may be nearing its maximum, but it is not officially confirmed yet.
2. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), solar activities have been above normal since May 2022 and continued through most of 2024.

3.The solar maximum provides the best opportunity for scientists to study the Sun’s behavior, as the next period of intense solar activity will not occur until 2035-2036.

Which recent solar missions have been launched and what are their goals?

Three major solar missions have been launched recently to study different aspects of the Sun:

1. Aditya L1 (India) – Launched on September 2, 2023, it is India’s first solar mission and is designed to study solar flares, solar winds, and to measure low-intensity magnetic fields and solar soft X-ray flux.

For detailed information on Aditya-L1 mission read this article here

2. Proba-3 (European Space Agency) – Launched on December 4, 2024, it has a unique design to study solar windsand solar storms.
3. PUNCH (NASA) – Scheduled for March 6, 2025, it will use four identical suitcase-sized satellites to continuously image the Sun’s inner corona and study the origins of solar flares.

For detailed information on PUNCH Mission read this article here

Question for practice:

Discuss why more solar missions are being launched during the current phase of the solar cycle.