India's Aditya L-1 Mission Aims To Unravel The Mysteries Of The Sun
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Just days after landing a spacecraft on the Moon's South Pole, India turned its attention to the Sun. On September 2, 2023, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) successfully launched the Aditya-L1 spacecraft to study the fiery star.
The cube-shaped spacecraft will orbit Earth for about 16 days before beginning its 110-day journey to its final destination — the L1 Lagrange point. Located 900,000 miles (1.5 million km) away from Earth, it is an area in space where the gravitational forces of the Sun and Earth are in equilibrium. This will allow the Aditya-L1 to "park" there for an extended amount of time without using much fuel. The spacecraft will also get a clear, uninterrupted view of the Sun.
Once at L1, the spacecraft will unfold its wings. Fitted with solar panels, they will provide the Aditya-L1 with power. It will then deploy its seven scientific instruments, five developed by ISRO, and start monitoring the Sun.
The five-year-long mission aims to get insights into how solar winds, flares, and storms generate and evolve. It will also help researchers understand how the natural phenomena, which occur within the Sun's atmosphere, impact Earth and other planets like Mars and Mercury.
Aditya L-1 is not the only spacecraft attempting to unravel the Sun's mysteries from L-1. The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO), a collaboration between the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA, has been studying the star from the same location since 1996.
Resources: Space.com, isro.gov.in, Livescience,.com, CNN.com
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29 Comments
aestheticfox411 daysThats really cool! I never thought anything could go to the sun. But here is the proof that anything is possible!
acquagra00011 daysThey are not going to the sun they are studying it.
bjjboy1111 daysi wonder how the spacecrafts will get close enough to the sun without getting burned or melted
islaymore10 daysThe spacecraft has a special lining of heat-proof material.
aiakk12 daysYAHOO! I can't wait for India to go to the SUN!!!!!!
sophiaak13 dayscongrats India! 🇮🇳- aiakk13 daysWOWZERS! This is an INCREDIBLE Thing for India!!!!!!!!
- fedrice-talaber11 daysI agree with you
rr17277416 daysThis is so neat.
basketballg0d17 daysThis is crazy
dogosonlosse18 daysWow! This is actually crazy!
craftygirl2718 daysI love this article is so cool the spacecraft landed on the South Pole of the moon and they’re going to study more about the Sun. It’s so fascinating