Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) Aditya-L1, India’s maiden solar mission, on board PSLV-C57 lifts off from the launch pad at Satish Dhawan Space Centre, in Sriharikota, on September 2, 2023.
| Photo Credit: PTI
India’s Aditya-L1 solar mission spacecraft has commenced collecting scientific data to assist scientists analyse particles surrounding Earth, ISRO mentioned on September 18.
The sensors on board India’s first solar observatory have begun measuring ions and electrons at distances higher than 50,000 km from Earth, ISRO introduced in a submit on X.
The nationwide area company mentioned that the sensors on STEPS or the Supra Thermal & Energetic Particle Spectrometer instrument started measuring supra-thermal and energetic ions and electrons at distances higher than 50,000 km from Earth.
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The instrument is part of the Aditya Solar Wind Particle EXperiment (ASPEX) payload of Aditya L1.
STEPS contains six sensors, every observing in several instructions and measuring supra-thermal and energetic ions starting from 20 keV/nucleon to five MeV/nucleon, along with electrons exceeding 1 MeV. These measurements are performed utilizing low and high-energy particle spectrometers.
The data collected throughout Earth’s orbits helps scientists to analyse the behaviour of particles surrounding the Earth, particularly within the presence of its magnetic area.
STEPS was activated on September 10 at a distance higher than 50,000 km from Earth. This distance is equal to greater than eight occasions the Earth’s radius, inserting it properly past Earth’s radiation belt area.
After finishing the mandatory instrument well being checks, data assortment continued till the spacecraft had moved farther than 50,000 km from Earth.
These STEPS measurements will persist throughout the cruise section of the Aditya-L1 mission because it progresses towards the Sun-Earth L1 level. They will proceed as soon as the spacecraft is positioned in its supposed orbit.
Data collected round L1 would supply insights into the origin, acceleration, and anisotropy of solar wind and area climate phenomena.
STEPS was developed by the Physical Research Laboratory with assist from the Space Application Centre in Ahmedabad.
Aditya-L1 was launched by ISRO on September 2.
The spacecraft carries seven totally different payloads to check the Sun, 4 of which is able to observe the sunshine from the Sun and the remaining three will measure in situ parameters of the plasma and magnetic fields.
Aditya-L1 shall be positioned in a halo orbit across the Lagrangian Point 1 (L1), which is 1.5 million km from the Earth within the course of the Sun. It will revolve across the Sun with the identical relative place and therefore can see the Sun constantly.
