Aditya Mission Commences Solar Wind Studies, Unveils First Image

India’s Aditya L1 mission, a pioneering endeavor to investigate the sun, achieved a significant milestone by initiating the observation of solar winds. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announced the development, confirming that the Aditya Solar wind Particle Experiment (ASPEX) payload aboard the satellite is operational and performing optimally.

Comprising two advanced instruments, the Solar wind Ion Spectrometer (SWIS) and SupraThermal and Energetic Particle Spectrometer (STEPS), ASPEX has seen successful activation of both components. While STEPS commenced its operations on September 10, the SWIS instrument was activated recently on a Saturday, showcasing exemplary performance according to ISRO.

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To provide a visual representation of its findings, the space agency shared an image on X (formerly Twitter), illustrating the energy variations in proton and alpha particle counts captured by the cutting-edge ASPEX payload.

Aditya-L1 Mission:

The Solar Wind Ion Spectrometer (SWIS), the second instrument in the Aditya Solar wind Particle Experiment (ASPEX) payload is operational.

The histogram illustrates the energy variations in proton and alpha particle counts captured by SWIS over 2-days.… pic.twitter.com/I5BRBgeYY5

— ISRO (@isro) December 2, 2023

Having lifted off from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh on September 2, the Aditya L1 mission boasts ambitious objectives. These include delving into the physics of the solar corona and its heating mechanisms, understanding solar wind acceleration, investigating the coupling and dynamics of the solar atmosphere, analyzing solar wind distribution and temperature anisotropy, and exploring the origins of Coronal Mass Ejections (CME) and flares, with implications for near-earth space weather.

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Beyond Aditya L1, India’s space endeavors extend to a human spaceflight program. This ongoing initiative aims to make history by launching astronauts into orbit, with a potential milestone achievement anticipated by 2025.