THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Preparations for the launch of Aditya L-1, India's first solar probe, have been completed and rehearsals have been conducted. The spacecraft is now attached to the launch rocket and ISRO released its pictures on Wednesday. Pre-launch tests of the spacecraft and launch rocket have also been completed. The launch is at 11.50 am on Saturday. The XL is a modified version of the PSLV rocket. This is the 58th launch of PSLV.
The Aditya spacecraft will be stationed at the first Lagrangian point at a distance of 15 lakh km from Earth. From here, the spacecraft can observe the Sun uninterruptedly even during eclipses. Aditya L-1 aims to study the Sun and its outer rings. The main objective is to detect the temperature variations of the Sun's outer surface and the effects of solar storms.
PSLV-C57/Aditya-L1 Mission:
— ISRO (@isro) August 30, 2023
The preparations for the launch are progressing.
The Launch Rehearsal - Vehicle Internal Checks are completed.
Images and Media Registration Link https://t.co/V44U6X2L76 #AdityaL1 pic.twitter.com/jRqdo9E6oM
Earth's atmosphere blocks many of the sun's harmful rays. That is the reason for the existence of life. Extraterrestrial studies of the Sun will help us understand its causes and the conditions that lead to the presence of life on other planets.
The mission will also help assess coronal heating, coronal mass injection and space weather. For this, the probe will have seven indigenously developed instruments. Four of these will study the Sun directly and three will study the halo orbit at Lagrange.
A low-energy orbit transfer method is used to bring a satellite launched into an orbit above 800 km from Earth to its destination by gradually increasing the orbit. For this purpose, the propulsion module in the probe will be used. If launched on Saturday, the probe will take about four months to reach the target.