ADITYA L-1 (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Sci and Tech)

Context: India's first solar observatory, Aditya-L1, has recently captured the first high-energy X-ray glimpse of solar flares, just two months after its launch, as announced by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

• The High Energy L1 Orbiting X-ray Spectrometer (HEL1OS) on board Aditya-L1 has recorded the impulsive phase of solar flares.

Aditya L-1

• About: Aditya L1 represents India's inaugural space mission dedicated to the study of the Sun.
• Launched by: PSLV-XL launch vehicle.
• Lagrange point: The spacecraft is destined to be positioned in a halo orbit encircling Lagrange point 1 (L1) within the Sun-Earth system, located approximately 1.5 million km away from Earth.
• This continuous observation capability will significantly enhance the capacity to monitor solar activities and their immediate impact on space weather in real time.
• Payloads: Aditya L1 carries a total of seven payloads, which are designed to scrutinize the photosphere, chromosphere, and the outermost solar layers (the corona) using various detectors for electromagnetic waves, particles, and magnetic fields.
• Objective: To unravel the fundamental drivers of space weather, which encompass the origin, composition, and dynamics of the solar wind.