ISRO to Launch Its Solar Mission Aditya-L1 on September 2

New Delhi: ISRO is planning to launch its solar mission Aditya-L2 on September 2.

The major science objectives of the Aditya-L1 mission are: Study of Solar upper atmospheric (chromosphere and corona) dynamics; Study of chromospheric and coronal heating, physics of the partially ionised 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.

Aditya-L1 is a fully indigenous effort with the participation of national institutions.

The Bengaluru-based Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) has developed its Visible Emission Line Coronagraph payload. Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Pune, has developed the Solar Ultraviolet Imager for the mission.

The satellite for the mission assembled at U R Rao Satellite Centre in Bengaluru reached Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh, two weeks ago.

A satellite placed in the halo orbit around the L1 point has the major advantage of continuously viewing the Sun without any occultation/eclipses.

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.