India’s Aditya-L1 Solar Mission Collecting Data on Earth’s Surrounding Particles

India's Aditya-L1 Solar Mission Collecting Data on Earth's Surrounding Particles

VoM News Desk | September 18, 2023 | 11:33 AM IST | Breaking News, Science & Technology, Space & Research | Follow on Google News

India’s Aditya-L1 Solar Mission Collecting Data on Earth’s Surrounding Particles. Image/ISRO

India’s Aditya-L1 solar mission spacecraft has initiated the collection of data that will aid scientists in analyzing the behavior of particles surrounding Earth, according to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

The spacecraft’s Supra Thermal & Energetic Particle Spectrometer (STEPS) instrument, a part of the Aditya Solar Wind Particle EXperiment (ASPEX) payload, has started measuring supra-thermal and energetic ions and electrons at distances exceeding 50,000 km from Earth. This data will enable scientists to study the behavior of particles in Earth’s vicinity.

STEPS was developed by the Physical Research Laboratory with support from the Space Application Centre in Ahmedabad. These measurements will continue during the cruise phase of the Aditya-L1 mission as it advances toward the Sun-Earth L1 point and once the spacecraft is in its intended orbit.

The data collected around L1, located 1.5 million km from Earth in the direction of the Sun, will provide insights into the origin, acceleration, and anisotropy of solar wind and space weather phenomena.

The Aditya-L1 spacecraft carries seven different payloads to study the Sun, including instruments for observing solar light and measuring in situ parameters of plasma and magnetic fields. Aditya-L1 will be placed in a halo orbit around Lagrangian Point 1 (L1), allowing continuous observation of the Sun.

STEPS comprises six sensors that measure supra-thermal and energetic ions and electrons in various directions. These measurements are essential for analyzing particle behavior around Earth, particularly in the presence of Earth’s magnetic field.

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