India Launches Its First Solar Observation Mission, Aditya-L1, Amid Space Exploration Milestones
India has embarked on its maiden solar observation mission, Aditya-L1, shortly after achieving a historic feat by becoming the first country to successfully land a probe near the lunar south pole.
Aditya-L1 took off from the Sriharikota launch pad on Saturday at 11:50 Indian time (06:20 GMT).
The mission aims to travel 1.5 million km (932,000 miles) from Earth, which is approximately 1% of the Earth-Sun distance.
The Indian Space Research Agency (ISRO) estimates that it will take about four months for Aditya-L1 to reach this distance.
The mission is named after Surya, the Hindu god of the Sun. The “L1” in Aditya-L1 stands for Lagrange point 1, which is a location precisely between the Sun and Earth where gravitational forces from both celestial bodies cancel each other out.
This unique position allows a spacecraft to effectively “hover” in place, requiring minimal fuel for orbital maintenance.
As the spacecraft reached its designated parking spot, thousands of spectators gathered at a viewing gallery near the launch site to witness the event, which was also broadcast live on national TV. ISRO scientists hailed the launch as “magnificent” and declared it a success after an hour and four minutes of flight-time.
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Aditya-L1’s mission is to observe the Sun continuously, even during solar eclipses, and conduct scientific studies.
The orbiter carries seven scientific instruments to monitor the solar corona (the outermost layer), the photosphere (the Sun’s visible surface), and the chromosphere (a thin layer between the photosphere and the corona). This research will aid scientists in understanding solar phenomena like solar wind and solar flares, which can impact Earth’s near-space weather and satellites.
While ISRO has not disclosed the exact cost of the mission, reports in the Indian press estimate it at 3.78 billion rupees ($46 million; £36 million).
Mylswamy Annadurai, a former ISRO scientist, highlighted the significance of understanding space weather, stating that solar activity can affect satellites and even power grids on Earth. He emphasized that the mission will improve our scientific knowledge of the Sun, which plays a pivotal role in our solar system.
India’s foray into solar observation follows its successful lunar landing near the south pole, making it the fourth country worldwide to achieve a soft landing on the Moon, joining the ranks of the US, the former Soviet Union, and China. Aditya-L1’s success would position India among a select group of nations actively studying the Sun, including Japan, NASA, and the European Space Agency (ESA).
NASA and ESA launched a Solar Orbiter in February 2020 to study the Sun closely, while NASA’s Parker Solar Probe became the first to fly through the Sun’s corona in 2021, marking another milestone in solar exploration.