Aditya L1 Launch Live Updates: India’s Solar Mission To Begin Its Journey Towards Sun Today
India is launching its first solar mission, Aditya L1, aboard the PSLV from Sriharikota. This mission aims to observe the solar corona remotely and gather in situ data on solar wind during its 125-day voyage to the Sun. The Liquid Propulsion System Centre’s liquid apogee motor (LAM) will play a crucial role in placing the Aditya spacecraft in the Lagrangian Point 1 (L1) orbit, approximately 1.5 million km from Earth.
The primary payload of Aditya L1 is the Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC), which will transmit 1,440 daily images to the ground station upon reaching its intended orbit. VELC has seven payloads, with four focusing on solar light observation and three on plasma and magnetic field measurements.
Dr. Muthu Priyal, the Project Scientist and Operation Manager for VELC, explained that VELC will capture one image per minute, totaling 1,440 images per day. The Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) expects VELC to operate for five years, though its lifespan could extend based on fuel consumption.
IIA anticipates the first images becoming available by February-end after Aditya L1 is put into orbit in January. The mission will undergo thorough instrument testing, with VELC’s shutter opening by mid-February. Additionally, the Liquid Propulsion System Centre (LPSC) has been a key support center for the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) since 1987, contributing to various space missions.
Aditya L1’s main scientific objectives include studying coronal mass ejections’ origin, dynamics, and propagation while addressing the coronal heating problem. IIA’s solar astronomy community plans to use data from VELC and other payloads to explore fundamental questions about solar astrophysics and its impact on daily life in the coming months.
#AdityaL1 #SolarMission #SpaceExploration #SunObservation #IndianSpace