The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has given an update on its ambitious upcoming mission, Aditya-L1, which marks India’s first space-based observatory dedicated to studying the Sun. The mission is set to launch on August 26 using a PSLV-XL launch vehicle.
ISRO has shared the initial images of the Aditya-L1 satellite, which was developed at the UR Rao Satellite Centre (URSC) in Bengaluru. The satellite has now reached SDSC-SHAR in Sriharikota.
The Aditya-L1 mission involves a coronagraph spacecraft designed and developed by ISRO and various Indian research institutes. The satellite will be placed in a halo orbit around the L1 point between the Earth and the Sun, where it will study the solar atmosphere, magnetic storms, and their impacts on the Earth’s environment.
This mission holds historic significance for the Indian space agency as it is the first dedicated effort to observe the Sun. The name “Aditya” comes from the Sanskrit word for the Sun or the God of the Sun. The “L1” stands for Lagrange point 1 of the Sun-Earth system, and the spacecraft will be positioned in a halo orbit around this point, about 1.5 million km from Earth.
According to ISRO, placing the satellite in the halo orbit around the L1 point offers the advantage of continuous observation of the Sun without any occultation or eclipses, allowing real-time monitoring of solar activities and their effects on space weather.
The concept for the Aditya-L1 mission was initially formulated in January 2008, with a budget allocated for a small Low Earth Observation (LEO) satellite with a coronagraph to study the solar corona. Over time, the scope of the mission expanded, and it is now planned to be a comprehensive solar and space environment observatory at Lagrange point 1. The allocated cost for the mission, as of July 2019, is ?378.53 crore, excluding launch expenses.
In addition to Aditya-L1, Chandrayaan-3, the third lunar mission launched on July 14, is scheduled to land on the lunar surface on August 23-24, making it a busy period for ISRO with significant space missions.
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