Aditya-L1 and further Indian missions to the Sun

[Indx TechStyle]

Feb 23, 2022
Chandrayaan-2 detected solar proton events due to high intensity solar flares in January 2022.
When Sun is active, spectacular eruptions called solar flares occur that sometimes also spew out energetic particles (called Solar Proton Events or SPEs) into interplanetary space. Most of these are high energy protons that impact space systems and significantly increase radiation exposure to humans in space. They can cause ionisation on large scales in Earth's middle atmosphere. Many intense solar flares are accompanied by coronal mass ejections (CMEs), a powerful stream of ionised material and magnetic fields, which reach Earth a few days later, leading to geomagnetic storms and lighting up the polar sky with auroras.
Solar flares are classified according to their strength. The smallest ones are A-class, followed by B, C, M and X. Each letter represents a 10-fold increase in energy output. This means that an M class flare is ten times intense than C-class flare and 100 times intense than B-class flare. Within each letter class there is a finer scale from 1 to 9 i.e a M2 flare is twice the strength of M1 flare.
Recently, there were two M-class solar flares. One flare (M5.5) spewed out energetic particles into interplanetary space and the other flare (M1.5) was accompanied by a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME). SPE event was seen by NASA's Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) satellite orbiting around Earth. However, the CME event was not detected by GOES.
Chandrayaan-2 Large Area Soft X-ray Spectrometer (CLASS) on-board Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter detected SPE due to an M5.5 class solar flare that occurred on January 20, 2022 (blue curve). The red curve shows the proton counts due to SPE recorded by GOES satellite operated by NOAA.

CLASS instrument also detected CME event as it passed through the moon due to an M1.5 class solar flare that occurred on Jan 18. CME travels with a speed of about 1000 km/s and it takes about 2-3 days to reach Earth. The signature of this event is missed by GOES satellite, as Earth magnetic field provides shielding from such events. However, the event was recorded by Chandrayaan-2.

Shown in both graphs is the arrival rate of protons recorded by CLASS payload versus time (in UTC). Integral flux is defined as total number of protons above an energy (or within an energy range) per second per unit detector area. In the present case, energy of proton is greater than 11.6 MeV.
Thus, CLASS payload on Chandrayaan-2 saw both the SPE and CME events pass by from two intense flares on the Sun. Such multi point observations help us understand the propagation and its impact on different planetary systems.

Ctsy: ISRO website.
For some reason, I can't copy URLs.

 

[Varoon2]

Good news on Aditya satellite. ISRO confident of launching it early next year( 2023). Before, there was talk of a 2024 launch.

Isro confident to launch maiden sun mission early next year, Chandrayaan-3 to wait till mid-2023 | India News - Times of India

India News: BENGALURU: The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro), which has multiple big science projects in its pipeline, will only be able to launch its thi.

timesofindia.indiatimes.com

 

[Indx TechStyle]

Dr. Sankarasubramanian K., ISRO, has been designated as the Principal Scientist of the Aditya-L1 mission.
Oct 19, 2022

Aditya-L1 is the first observatory-class space-based solar mission from India. The spacecraft will be placed in a halo orbit around the first Lagrange point, L1, of the Sun-Earth system. A satellite around the L1 point has the major advantage of continuously viewing the Sun without occultation/eclipses. This position provides a greater advantage of observing solar activities continuously. Aditya-L1 carries seven payloads to observe the photosphere, chromosphere, and the outermost layers of the Sun (the corona) using electromagnetic and particle detectors. Four payloads directly view the Sun from the unique vantage point of L1, and the remaining three payloads carry out in-situ studies of particles and fields at the Lagrange point L1.

Dr. Sankarasubramanian K. is a senior solar scientist at the U R Rao Satellite Centre (URSC), Bengaluru.He obtained his PhD in Physics from Bangalore University through the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bengaluru.He obtained his PhD in Physics from Bangalore University through the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bengaluru. His research areas of interest are the Solar Magnetic field, Optics, and Instrumentation. He has contributed to AstroSat, Chandrayaan-1 and Chandrayaan-2 missions of ISRO in several capacities. Currently, he is heading the Space Astronomy Group (SAG) of URSC. SAG is involved in developing scientific payloads for the upcoming missions of Aditya-L1, XPoSat, and science payload onboard the Chandrayaan-3 propulsion module. He is also the Principal Investigator for one of the X-ray payloads onboard Aditya-L1. Dr. Sankarasubramanian K also heads the Aditya-L1 Science Working Group, which has members from several institutes of India engaged in solar science research.

 

[Varoon2]

Importance of Aditya payload VERC for upcoming mission. VERC was developed after a 15 year, rigorous effort

Mission Aditya – L1: A 15-Year Journey That Saw Indian Astronomers Build Most Complex Satellite Payload Ever - News18

In an exclusive interview to News18, director of Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Prof Annapurni Subramaniam, details how astronomers created the most challenging scientific payload for India’s historic solar mission set for July this year

www.news18.com

 

[Indx TechStyle]

India's maiden mission to study the Sun has now slipped to the end of 2023.

At the ongoing Aditya L-1 Workshop organised at IIT BHU from February 25-27, it was revealed that the mission will now be launched by ISRO in December instead of mid-2023.

ISRO Aditya L-1: Launch of India's maiden solar mission on track for launch in 2023

ISRO's Aditya-L1 mission is on track for its launch around mid-2023. The project is currently being explained to IIT BHU students at a dedicated workshop.

m.republicworld.com

 

[Indx TechStyle]

ISRO Aditya L-1: Launch of India's maiden solar mission on track for launch in 2023

ISRO's Aditya-L1 mission is on track for its launch around mid-2023. The project is currently being explained to IIT BHU students at a dedicated workshop.

m.republicworld.com

Mission preponed to mid-2023 as per IE or report not updated.

https://indianexpress.com/article/india/gaganyaan-from-astronauts-training-to-tech-upgrade-isro-making-leaps-to-meet-2025-target-for-manned-mission-8546259/

The Aditya L1 mission, the ISRO chairperson had previously said, is likely to take place in June or July in 2023 on board the workhorse PSLV. The report states that all payloads are at an advanced stage of development to meet the launch schedule. “Three of the payloads of the mission have already been delivered for assembly, integration and testing.”

 

[Indx TechStyle]

Scheduled for July launch. Mission cost: INR 378 crores

 

[Indx TechStyle]

India aims to predict how & when Sun eruptions will hit Earth. Isro chief gives details about Aditya L-1
Isro chief S Somnath was at the India Today Conclave South 2023 to discuss the space quest.

Isro chief S Somnath at the India Today South Conclave 2023. (Photo: India Today)

In Short

• The launch window for the mission opens in August
• Aditya-L1 carries seven payloads to observe the photosphere, chromosphere of Sun
• The Isro chief was at the India Today Conclave South 2023

By India Today Science Desk: The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) will launch the ambitious mission to explore the Sun, Aditya L1, in August this year.

Isro chief confirmed that the launch window for the mission opens in August and the satellite is being prepared to be sent outside Earth.

The Isro chief was at the India Today Conclave South 2023 to discuss the space quest.

"Aditya L1 is going to go in August. We have prepared the satellite, Isro chief said, adding that it will be sent to four times the distance from Earth to the Moon at Lagrange-1 and leave it there. It is a field where gravity between Sun and Earth is neutralized and if we sent something at this location, it stays there," Somnath said.

The L1 point of the Earth-Sun system provides an uninterrupted view of the sun and is currently home to the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory Satellite SOHO from Nasa.

The Isro boss said, "It will look at the Sun for as long as it lives. They designed it for five years. It will look at the corona of the sun, which has lots of activity and coronal mass ejections."

A Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) ejects billions of tons of material into space that often hit Earth triggering auroras and, on some occasions, even damaging satellites.

He stressed that scientists have put in place instruments to look at Sun in the Aditya mission, which will predict coronal mass ejection, do remote sensing of the sun, and give a warning if such ejections come towards Earth.

Aditya-L1 carries seven payloads to observe the photosphere, chromosphere, and the outermost layers of the Sun (the corona) using electromagnetic and particle detectors.

Four payloads will directly view the Sun from the unique vantage point of L1, and the remaining three payloads carry out in-situ studies of particles and fields at the Lagrange point L1.

 

[Indx TechStyle]

Unique space telescope designed by Pune scientists ready for Sun mission
ADITYA-L1 will be ISRO's first space observatory dedicated to studying the Sun

The Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT)

The Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT), a unique space telescope developed by Pune’s Inter-University Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), is now ready and has been delivered to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). The telescope is set to be integrated with the ADITYA-L1 mission, expected to be launched in mid-August this year.

”It is proud news for us that the telescope will be integrated with the ADITYA-L1 mission as a very important instrument in its array,” said Prof R Srianand, Director of IUCAA.

ADITYA-L1 will be ISRO’s first space observatory dedicated to studying the Sun. It will fly approximately 1.5 million kilometers from Earth to the L1, or Lagrange point 1, which is one of the five favorable spots for observing the Sun. The mission aims to provide regular images and updates on the Sun’s surface phenomena and space weather.

A model of SUIT displayed at IUCAA

The Aditya-L1 mission will carry seven different payloads capable of studying various phenomena on the Sun across the electromagnetic spectrum and solar wind. Prof A N Ramaprakash and Prof Durgesh Tripathi, under whose leadership SUIT has been built at IUCAA, explained that Aditya-L1 will enable seamless measurement of solar radiation from Hard X-ray to Infrared, as well as in-situ measurements of particles in the solar wind and the Sun’s magnetic field at the L1 point.

“We had to build an ultra-clean room apart from ensuring that there will be no contamination from the particles scattered by the Sun on the payload. Special filters had to be designed to pick up the radiation,” said Prof Ramaprakash.

Prof Tripathi highlighted the significance of SUIT’s capabilities, stating, “SUIT, for the first time, will allow us to record images in this wavelength crucial for maintaining the Ozone and Oxygen content in the atmosphere of the Earth. SUIT will also measure the UV radiation hazardous for skin cancer.”

Prof Ramaprakash noted that after the launch of the Aditya-L1 mission, it will take approximately 100 days to reach the halo orbit around the L1 point, where all seven unique payloads will carry out scientific observations. The SUIT telescope will address fundamental questions such as the existence of a higher temperature atmosphere above the cooler surface of the Sun and the origin and variation of near-ultraviolet radiation and high-energy solar flares.

From L to R — Prof A N Ramaprakash and Prof Durgesh Tripathi

“Through SUIT, we shall have a seamless measurement of solar radiation from Hard X-ray to Infrared, as well as in-situ measurements of particles in the solar wind, including the Sun’s magnetic field at the L1 point,” added Prof Ramaprakash.

The SUIT project involved over 200-300 scientists over the last ten years. In addition to the initial grant of Rs 25 crore from ISRO for the hardware, scientists faced several challenges during the development of the payload, including building an ultra-clean room and designing special filters to capture the radiation.

 

[Indx TechStyle]

New ISRO website's updated page
ADITYA-L1

Aditya L1 shall be the first space based Indian mission to study the Sun. The spacecraft shall be placed in a halo orbit around the Lagrange point 1 (L1) of the Sun-Earth system, which is about 1.5 million km from the Earth. A satellite placed in the halo orbit around the L1 point has the major advantage of continuously viewing the Sun without any occultation/eclipses. This will provide a greater advantage of observing the solar activities and its effect on space weather in real time. The spacecraft carries seven payloads to observe the photosphere, chromosphere and the outermost layers of the Sun (the corona) using electromagnetic and particle and magnetic field detectors. Using the special vantage point L1, four payloads directly view the Sun and the remaining three payloads carry out in-situ studies of particles and fields at the Lagrange point L1, thus providing important scientific studies of the propagatory effect of solar dynamics in the interplanetary medium.

The suits of Aditya L1 payloads are expected to provide most crucial informations to understand the problem of coronal heating, coronal mass ejection, pre-flare and flare activities and their characteristics, dynamics of space weather, propagation of particle and fields etc.

Science Objectives:
The major science objectives of Aditya-L1 mission are:

• Study of Solar upper atmospheric (chromosphere and corona) dynamics.
• Study of chromospheric and coronal heating, physics of the partially ionized plasma, initiation of the coronal mass ejections, and flares
• Observe the in-situ particle and plasma environment providing data for the study of particle dynamics from the Sun.
• Physics of solar corona and its heating mechanism.
• Diagnostics of the coronal and coronal loops plasma: Temperature, velocity and density.
• Development, dynamics and origin of CMEs.
• Identify the sequence of processes that occur at multiple layers (chromosphere, base and extended corona) which eventually leads to solar eruptive events.
• Magnetic field topology and magnetic field measurements in the solar corona .
• Drivers for space weather (origin, composition and dynamics of solar wind .

Aditya-L1 Payloads:

The instruments of Aditya-L1 are tuned to observe the solar atmosphere mainly the chromosphere and corona. In-situ instruments will observe the local environment at L1. There are total seven payloads on-board with four of them carrying out remote sensing of the Sun and three of them carrying in-situ observation.

Payloads along with their major capability of scientific investigation.

Type	Sl. No.	Payload	Capability
Remote Sensing Payloads	1	Visible Emission Line Coronagraph(VELC)	Corona/Imaging & Spectroscopy
2	Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT)	Photosphere and Chromosphere Imaging- Narrow & Broadband
3	Solar Low Energy X-ray Spectrometer (SoLEXS)	Soft X-ray spectrometer: Sun-as-a-star observation
4	High Energy L1 Orbiting X-ray Spectrometer(HEL1OS)	Hard X-ray spectrometer: Sun-as-a-star observation
In-situ Payloads
5	Aditya Solar wind Particle Experiment(ASPEX)	Solar wind/Particle Analyzer Protons & Heavier Ions with directions
6	Plasma Analyser Package For Aditya (PAPA)	Solar wind/Particle Analyzer Electrons & Heavier Ions with directions
7	Advanced Tri-axial High Resolution Digital Magnetometers	In-situ magnetic field (Bx, By and Bz).

 

[Indx TechStyle]

Aditya-L1 Mission Booklet
(PDF File)

 

[Indx TechStyle]

Continued..

 

[Indx TechStyle]

NOTAM issued for Aditya-L1 from 23 July onwards.

Spacecraft/rockets/isro related NOTAMs

This is a NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) indicating a temporary dangerous area due to debris from the PSLV C55/TeLEOS-2 launch, which is expected to re-enter the Earth's atmosphere in the Tahiti FIR (Flight Information Region). The airspace will be impacted by this activity from April 22 to April 30...

defenceforumindia.com

 

[Indx TechStyle]

For copying,

Launch activities for PSLV C57 (Aditya-L1) too have commenced.

Aditya-L1 launch now scheduled for second half of August.
July's slot was repurposed for a commercial launch.

 

[Indx TechStyle]

@Vamsi You may continue here

 

[Indx TechStyle]

@Vamsi got eye on it first.

PSLV-C57/Aditya-L1 Mission: Aditya-L1, the first space-based Indian observatory to study the Sun, is getting ready for the launch. The satellite realised at the U R Rao Satellite Centre (URSC), Bengaluru has arrived at SDSC-SHAR, Sriharikota. More pics https://instagram.com/isro.dos/ https://isro.gov.in/Aditya_L1.html

 

[Indx TechStyle]

More photos from insta

 

[Varoon2]

Has any other country done this i.e send a satellite or probe to that location L1. Or is another country about to, now that they know India is going to launch a satellite there

 

[SKC]

Has any other country done this i.e send a satellite or probe to that location L1. Or is another country about to, now that they know India is going to launch a satellite there

Nasa has placed James Webb in L2 orbit.

L2 is the same distance from Earth as L1 but is located on the opposite side of Earth from the Sun. L2 is an advantageous position for space observatories, such as Gaia and the James Webb Space Telescope, which can also use its sun shield to block the telescope from the heat and light of the Sun, Earth, and the Moon.

So, minimum two: Gaia and the James Webb Space Telescope are in the similar distant orbit as L1.

 

[Varoon2]

Nasa has placed James Webb in L2 orbit.

L2 is the same distance from Earth as L1 but is located on the opposite side of Earth from the Sun. L2 is an advantageous position for space observatories, such as Gaia and the

India's mission will be a first of sorts, then..And one of the few to study the sun at all.