Aditya-L1 Mission: Following the triumph of the Chandrayaan-3 mission, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is gearing up for another groundbreaking mission - the Aditya-L1 Mission.
The Aditya-L1 Mission, India's maiden solar mission, aims to study various aspects of the Sun, including its temperature, solar radiation effects on Earth, especially on the ozone layer, and the dynamics of space weather.
This mission involves collaboration with various national institutions and is entirely indigenous.
It includes the development of the Visible Emission Line Coronagraph payload by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bengaluru, and the Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope by the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), Pune.
The primary goal of the Aditya-L1 Mission is to provide vital insights into the dynamics of the Sun's outermost layers, such as the chromosphere and corona.
It will partially study the physical properties of ionized plasma and shed light on solar activities, their impact on Earth's environment, and more.
The Aditya-L1 Mission's spacecraft is set to launch from ISRO's Satish Dhawan Space Centre on September 02 at 11:50 AM.
It will be placed in a halo orbit around the L1 point of the Sun-Earth system, offering real-time monitoring of solar activities and space weather, which significantly affects Earth's environment.
The Aditya-L1 Mission will carry seven payloads, including the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UVIT) for studying the solar corona and chromosphere, and X-ray payloads for observing solar flares.
Particle detectors and magnetometers will provide valuable information about charged particles and the heliospheric magnetic field around L1.
India is embarking on its first solar mission, but several nations have sent missions to explore the Sun. Till now, a total of 22 missions have been sent to the Sun. Notable participants in solar missions include the United States, Germany, and the European Space Agency.
America's NASA has led the way with 14 solar missions, including the Parker Solar Probe, which has made numerous close approaches to the Sun.
The European Space Agency also sent its first Sun mission in 1994 in association with NASA.