Aditya-L1 mission – Key Facts

January 31, 2022

ISRO is likely to launch “Aditya-L1 mission” to study the sun, in year 2022.

Key Points

  • The Aditya-L1 mission will be placed into a point called L1 Lagrange point.
  • This mission will be ISRO’s 2nd space-based astronomy mission after AstroSat. AstroSat was launched in 2015.
  • Aditya-L1 was earlier named as Aditya 1 and was meant to observe only the solar corona.

Launch Vehicle

Solar probe, Aditya L1 will be launched on Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) XL, carrying 7 payloads or instruments on board.

Objective of the mission

Aditya L1 mission will be launched to study Sun’s corona (Visible and Near infrared rays), chromosphere (Ultra Violet), Sun’s photosphere (soft and hard X-ray), solar winds & flares, solar emissions, and Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs). It will also carry out round-the-clock imaging of the Sun.

What are the Challenges?

  • The biggest challenge associated with Aditya L1 mission is distance of Sun from Earth, which is approximately 15 crore kms.
  • Because of several risks, payloads in previous ISRO missions have largely remained stationary in space. But Aditya L1 comprise of some moving components which increases the risks of collision.
  • Other issues include super-hot temperatures and radiation coming from solar atmosphere. Though, Aditya L1 will stay much farther away.

Significance of the mission

  • This mission is significant because, it is important to study the Sun in light that, evolution of planets and exoplanets beyond the Solar System is governed by the Sun. Solar weather and environment affect the weather of entire system.
  • It will help in studying the Effects of Variation in Solar Weather System. Variations in this weather can change orbits of satellites or even shorten their lives.
  • It will help in learning about and tracking Earth-directed storms.

Lagrange Point 1

Lagrange Points has been named after Italian-French mathematician Josephy-Louis Lagrange. These points are positioned in space, where gravitational forces of a two-body system produce enhanced regions of repulsion and attraction.

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