ISRO's Aditya-L1 solar probe begins collecting scientific data
Aditya-L1 carries seven indigenously developed scientific payloads including the Aditya Solar Wind Particle EXperiment (ASPEX), which hosts the Supra Thermal & Energetic Particle Spectrometer (STEPS) instrument
Aditya-L1
NEW DELHI: Aditya-L1, the first Indian space-based observatory to study the Sun from the Lagrangian point (L1), has started the collection of scientific data, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said on Monday.
The solar probe was launched on the agency's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C57) on September 02, 2023, from the Second Launch Pad of Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC), Sriharikota.
Aditya-L1 carries seven indigenously developed scientific payloads including the Aditya Solar Wind Particle EXperiment (ASPEX), which hosts the Supra Thermal & Energetic Particle Spectrometer (STEPS) instrument.
#AdityaL1Mission: Aditya L1 has commenced collecting scientific data. The sensors of the STEPS instrument have begun measuring supra-thermal and energetic ions and electrons at distances greater than 50,000 km from Earth.#ISRO #SolarMission #ISROMission #AdityaL1 #sunstudy pic.twitter.com/jsCSCdG3VT
— DT Next (@dt_next) September 18, 2023
STEPS, which was activated on September 10 at a distance greater than 50,000 km from Earth, has begun data collection. Developed by the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) with support from the Space Application Centre (SAC) in Ahmedabad, STEPS comprises six sensors, each observing in different directions and measuring supra-thermal and energetic ions ranging from 20 keV/nucleon to 5 MeV/nucleon, in addition to electrons exceeding 1 MeV.
"The data collected during Earth's orbits helps scientists to analyse the behaviour of particles surrounding the Earth, especially in the presence of the magnetic field of Earth," ISRO said in a statement.
ISRO's Aditya-L1 spacecraft has completed four earth-bound orbital maneuvers which placed it in the transfer orbit towards L1. A satellite placed in the halo orbit around this special L1 point has the major advantage of continuously monitoring the Sun without any occultation or eclipses.
Out of the seven payloads, four will directly view the Sun while the remaining three payloads will carry out in-situ studies of particles and fields at the Lagrange point L1.
