“Sunshine moment for India,” says Union Minister as PSLV-XL launches India’s first Solar Mission

Source: The post is based on the article “Sunshine moment for India,” says Union Minister as PSLV-XL launches India’s first Solar Mission”  published in PIB on 4th September 2023

What is the News?

Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-XL) has launched India’s first Solar Mission, – Aditya L1 from Sriharikota Range.

What is Aditya L1?

Source: TOI

Aditya L1 is the first space-based Indian mission to study the Sun.

Placed at: It shall be placed in a halo orbit around the Lagrange point 1 (L1) of the Sun-Earth system, which is about 1.5 million km from the Earth.

– A satellite placed in the halo orbit around the L1 point has the major advantage of continuously viewing the Sun without any occultation/eclipses. This will provide a greater advantage of observing the solar activities and its effect on space weather in real time.

Payloads: The spacecraft carries seven payloads to observe the photosphere, chromosphere and the outermost layers of the Sun (the corona) using electromagnetic and particle and magnetic field detectors.

– Using the special vantage point L1, four payloads directly view the Sun.The remaining three payloads carry out in-situ studies of particles and fields at the Lagrange point L1, thus providing important scientific studies of the propagatory effect of solar dynamics in the interplanetary medium.

Significance: The Aditya L1 Mission is expected to provide the most crucial information to understand the problem of coronal heating, coronal mass ejection, pre-flare and flare activities and their characteristics, dynamics of space weather, propagation of particles and fields etc.

How will Aditya L1 be placed in the L1 orbit?

Initial Orbit: The spacecraft was initially placed in a Low Earth Orbit.

Elliptical Orbit: The orbit will then be adjusted to become more elliptical.

Exit from Earth’s Gravitational Sphere of Influence (SOI): The spacecraft will be propelled towards the L1 point using onboard propulsion.As the spacecraft moves towards the Lagrange point, it will exit Earth’s gravitational Sphere of Influence.

Cruise Phase: After leaving Earth’s SOI, the cruise phase of the mission will commence.

Halo Orbit: Subsequently, the spacecraft will be injected into a large halo orbit around the Lagrange point (L1).