Aditya-L1 Mission:👀Onlooker!Aditya-L1, destined for the Sun-Earth L1 point, takes a selfie and images of the Earth and the Moon.#AdityaL1
Aditya-L1 Mission:The third Earth-bound maneuvre (EBN#3) is performed successfully from ISTRAC, Bengaluru. ISRO's ground stations at Mauritius, Bengaluru, SDSC-SHAR and Port Blair tracked the satellite during this operation. The new orbit attained is 296 km x 71767 km. The next maneuvre (EBN#4) is scheduled for September 15, 2023, around 02:00 Hrs. IST
Aditya-L1 Mission:The fourth Earth-bound maneuvre (EBN#4) is performed successfully. ISRO's ground stations at Mauritius, Bengaluru, SDSC-SHAR and Port Blair tracked the satellite during this operation, while a transportable terminal currently stationed in the Fiji islands for Aditya-L1 will support post-burn operations. The new orbit attained is 256 km x 121973 km. The next maneuvre Trans-Lagragean Point 1 Insertion (TL1I) -- a send-off from the Earth -- is scheduled for September 19, 2023, around 02:00 Hrs. IST
Aditya-L1 Mission:Aditya-L1 has commenced collecting scientific data.The sensors of the STEPS instrument have begun measuring supra-thermal and energetic ions and electrons at distances greater than 50,000 km from Earth.This data helps scientists analyze the behaviour of particles surrounding Earth.The figure displays variations in the energetic particle environment, collected by one of the units.https://www.isro.gov.in/Aditya_L1_collection_of_scientific_data.html#AdityaL1
Aditya-L1 Mission:Off to Sun-Earth L1 point!The Trans-Lagrangean Point 1 Insertion (TL1I) maneuvre is performed successfully.The spacecraft is now on a trajectory that will take it to the Sun-Earth L1 point. It will be injected into an orbit around L1 through a maneuver after about 110 days. This is the fifth consecutive time ISRO has successfully transferred an object on a trajectory toward another celestial body or location in space.
Aditya-L1 Mission:🔸The spacecraft has travelled beyond a distance of 9.2 lakh kilometres from Earth, successfully escaping the sphere of Earth's influence. It is now navigating its path towards the Sun-Earth Lagrange Point 1 (L1). 🔸This is the second time in succession that ISRO could send a spacecraft outside the sphere of influence of the Earth, the first time being the Mars Orbiter Mission.
#Update #Space #Sun #Thread#AdityaL1 has travelled beyond 9.2 lakh-km, escaping Earth's influence & is heading towards L1. But reaching L1 isn’t its only challenge. Staying there’s tricky too. To ensure it's safe, Isro needs to know where it “was, is and will be”. 1/nPic: ESAThis tracking process, called ‘orbit determination,’ involves using mathematical formulas and specially developed software by Isro’s UR Rao Satellite Centre (URSC), Isro chairman S Somanath told me. 2/nWhere Aditya’s Going: When one large mass orbits another, their gravitational forces and orbital motion interact to create five equilibrium points where a spacecraft can operate for a prolonged period of time without having to use a lot of fuel… 3/n…These locations are known as Lagrange points. Aditya-L1’s final destination will be one of the five Lagrange points in the Sun-Earth system. 4/nAlso known as libration points, Lagrange points are unique locations in space where the gravitational force of two massive bodies (like Sun and Earth) precisely equals the centripetal force required for a small object (like spacecraft) to move with them… 5/nL1 is particularly significant because it's between the two primaries (Sun & Earth), making it an ideal location for spacecrafts because they allow continuous observation of primary bodies, continuous communication with earth and an unobstructed view of celestial bodies. 6/nThese orbits are well-suited for scientific missions like Aditya which will act like a solar observatory around L1 and communicate to Earth. 7/nThe Challenge: According to the European Space Agency (ESA), L1 is one of the ‘unstable’ Lagrange points and keeping a spacecraft exactly at the L1 point is practically impossible. “Instead, spacecraft enter orbit around L1 as if Lagrange point were an ‘invisible planet’... 8/n…Even so, due to the instability of this orbit, small trajectory errors will grow quickly. As a result, spacecraft must perform ‘station keeping’ manoeuvres roughly once a month to keep them in the correct orbit.” 9/nSomanath said while L1 is an unstable point, the instability is very mild and spread over a long period of time making it still the best place to be for a spacecraft. “L3 and L4 are much more difficult, for instance.” 10/n“...That said, if we aren’t careful with regard to orbit determination then the spacecraft can diverge. While it can be brought back, the fuel penalty will be higher,” he said. 11/nL1 & Software: Theoretically, L1 is a constant point. It is a geometrical point that one gets when one connects the Moon, Sun and Earth. 12/nAlthough L1 is theoretically between two objects, when it gets influenced by other bodies, the Moon for instance, it becomes a multi-body sphere. And depending on the movement of these bodies, there are changes Isro will need to account for with time. 13/n“The halo orbit Aditya-L1 will be in is a vague orbit. It’s not like rotating around a single point. It is rotating around a vast area that is a three-dimensional orbit… 14/n…Therefore, the need was for a multi-body computational programme to find out the trajectory of these bodies and the spacecraft. For this, Isro has designed and developed new orbit determination software for Aditya-L1,” Somanath said. n/n
Aditya-L1 Mission:The Spacecraft is healthy and on its way to Sun-Earth L1. A Trajectory Correction Maneuvre (TCM), originally provisioned, was performed on October 6, 2023, for about 16 s. It was needed to correct the trajectory evaluated after tracking the Trans-Lagrangean Point 1 Insertion (TL1I) maneuvre performed on September 19, 2023. TCM ensures that the spacecraft is on its intended path towards the Halo orbit insertion around L1. As Aditya-L1 continues to move ahead, the magnetometer will be turned on again within a few days.
#UPDATE #SPACE #THREAD (short)Several days after it escaped the Earth’s sphere of influence, #AdityaL1 has undergone a Trajectory Correction Manoeuvre (TCM). Spacecraft healthy and is on its way to Sun-Earth Lagrange Point-1 (L1) 1.5 million-km away from Earth. 1/nThe TCM, originally provisioned, was performed on October 6 for about 16 seconds, Isro said on Sunday, adding that the move was needed to correct the trajectory evaluated after tracking the Trans-Lagrangian Point Insertion (TLI) manoeuvre on Sept 19. 2/n“TCM ensures that the spacecraft is on its intended path towards the Halo orbit insertion around L1. As Aditya-L1 continues to move ahead, the magnetometer will be turned on again within a few days,” Isro said. 3/nOn September 30, the space agency said Aditya-L1 had travelled beyond a distance of 9.2 lakh kilometres from Earth, successfully escaping the sphere of Earth’s influence. 4/nThis is the second time in succession that Isro could send a spacecraft outside the sphere of influence of the Earth, the first time being the Mars Orbiter Mission. n/n
Aditya-L1 Mission:HEL1OS captures first High-Energy X-ray glimpse of Solar Flares🔸During its first observation period from approximately 12:00 to 22:00 UT on October 29, 2023, the High Energy L1 Orbiting X-ray Spectrometer (HEL1OS) on board Aditya-L1 has recorded the impulsive phase of solar flares. The recorded data is consistent with the X-ray light curves provided by NOAA's GOES.🔸Commissioned on October 27, 2023, HEL1OS is currently undergoing fine-tuning of thresholds and calibration operations. The instrument is set to monitor the Sun's high-energy X-ray activity with fast timing and high-resolution spectra. 🔸HEL1OS data enables researchers to study explosive energy release and electron acceleration during impulsive phases of solar flares. HEL1OS was developed by the Space Astronomy Group of the U. R. Rao Satellite Centre, ISRO, Bengaluru. More: ursc.gov.in/hel1os.jsp@NWSSWPC#AdityaL1
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.
Aditya-L1's ASPEX instrument begins its measurements December 01, 2023The Aditya Solar wind Particle Experiment (ASPEX) payload onboard India's Aditya-L1 satellite has commenced its operations and is performing normally. ASPEX comprises two cutting-edge instruments – the Solar wind Ion Spectrometer (SWIS) and STEPS (SupraThermal and Energetic Particle Spectrometer). The STEPS instrument was operational on September 10, 2023. The SWIS instrument was activated on November 2, 2023, and has exhibited optimal performance.SWIS, utilizing two sensor units with a remarkable 360° field of view each, operates in planes perpendicular to one another. The instrument has successfully measured solar wind ions, primarily protons and alpha particles. A sample energy histogram acquired from one of the sensors over two days in November 2023 illustrates variations in proton (H+) and alpha particle (doubly ionized helium, He2+) counts. These variations were recorded with nominal integration time, providing a comprehensive snapshot of solar wind behaviour.The directional capabilities of SWIS enable precise measurements of solar wind protons and alphas, contributing significantly to addressing longstanding questions about solar wind properties, underlying processes, and their impact on Earth.The change in the proton and alpha particle number ratio, as observed by SWIS, holds the potential to provide indirect information about the arrival of Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) at the Sun-Earth Lagrange Point L1. Enhanced alpha-to-proton ratio is often regarded as one of the sensitive markers of the passage of interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs) at the L1 and hence considered crucial for space weather studies.As researchers delve deeper into the collected data, the international scientific community eagerly awaits the wealth of knowledge that Aditya-L1's ASPEX is set to unveil about the enigmatic solar wind and its implications for our planet.
Aditya-L1 Mission:The SUIT payload captures full-disk images of the Sun in near ultraviolet wavelengthsThe images include the first-ever full-disk representations of the Sun in wavelengths ranging from 200 to 400 nm.They provide pioneering insights into the intricate details of the Sun's photosphere and chromosphere.https://www.isro.gov.in/Aditya_L1_SUIT.html All images on our Instagram instagram.com/isro.dos/ @IUCAAstro
Aditya-L1's SUIT captures full-disk images of the Sun in near ultraviolet wavelengths HomeDecember 8, 2023The Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT) instrument on board the Aditya-L1 spacecraft has successfully captured the first full-disk images of the Sun in the 200-400 nm wavelength range. SUIT captures images of the Sun's photosphere and chromosphere in this wavelength range using various scientific filters.On November 20, 2023, the SUIT payload was powered ON. Following a successful pre-commissioning phase, the telescope captured its first light science images on December 6, 2023. These unprecedented images, taken using eleven different filters (as shown in Table 1), include the first-ever full-disk representations of the Sun in wavelengths ranging from 200 to 400 nm, excluding Ca II h. The full disk images of the Sun in the Ca II h wavelength has been studied from other observatories.Among the notable features revealed are sunspots, plage, and quiet Sun regions, as marked in the Mg II h image, providing scientists with pioneering insights into the intricate details of the Sun's photosphere and chromosphere. SUIT observations will help scientists study the dynamic coupling of the magnetized solar atmosphere and assist them in placing tight constraints on the effects of solar radiation on Earth's climateThe development of SUIT involved a collaborative effort under the leadership of the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), Pune. This collaboration included ISRO, the Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), the Centre for Excellence in Space Science Indian (CESSI) at IISER-Kolkata, the Indian Institute of Astrophysics Bengaluru, the Udaipur Solar Observatory (USO-PRL), and Tezpur University Assam.Name of the filter (emission lines) Wavelength (nm) FeaturesNB1 214 Photosphere, Sunspot, Plages and limb darkeningNB2 276 Photosphere, Sunspot, Plages, limb darkeningNB3 (Mg II k) 279 Chromosphere, Sunspots, Plages, Quiet Sun, filamentsNB4 (Mg II h) 280 Chromosphere, Sunspots, Plages, Quiet Sun, filamentsNB5 283 Photosphere, Sunspot, Plages, limb darkeningNB6 300 Photosphere, Sunspot, Plages, limb darkeningNB7 388 Photosphere, Sunspot, limb darkeningNB8 (Ca II h) 396.8 Chromosphere, Sunspots, Plages, Quiet Sun,BB1 200-242 Photosphere, limb darkening, Plages, SunspotsBB2 242-300 Photosphere, limb darkening, Plages, SunspotsBB3 320-360 Photosphere, limb darkening, SunspotsTable 1: List of filters used and their features
Sorry to break into the thread with this -- but is Aditya-L1 able to capture the major solar event that's been going on?Will Aditya-L1 and other satellites be in any particular danger from this event?Look at 0:30 -- looks like a terrible gash on the Sun's disc:
#Update #space #India #SunCome Saturday and @isro will perform the final manoeuvre to put India’s #AdityaL1 space probe into a halo orbit, the solar space observatory’s final destination some 1.5 million-km from Earth. Read on for more… 1/nPic: Isro (not to scale)This will be done by firing of a group of thrusters for a short period of time, scheduled tentatively to end at around 4pm on the day. 2/n#AdityaL1 was launched on Sept 2 & commenced its journey to its final destination, the Sun-Earth Lagrange’s Point 1 (L1), on Sept 18. The L1 is a region of stability between Earth and Sun where the gravity of the two bodies and the centrifugal force balance out. 3/nAt L1, Aditya will join four operational probes. Three of these belong solely to NASA: WIND, Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) and Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVER). The fourth, the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO), is a joint NASA-ESA mission. 4/nUR Rao Satellite Centre (URSC) director M Sankaran says: “The final manoeuvre will be a short one using a group of thrusters. Aditya-L1 has 12 thrusters and we’ve not decided which ones will be used… 5/n…A final decision will be taken on whether to use LAM (liquid apogee engine) or other thrusters, based on the spacecraft’s position on Saturday.” 6/n#AdityaL1 carries 7 instruments to study the Sun and solar storms, with a planned 5 year mission and L1 offers an unobstructed view of the #Sun. 7/nIf reaching L1 is a challenging journey, staying there is also tricky. To ensure it gets to its destination and stays safely in orbit, Isro needs to know exactly where their spacecraft “was, is and will be”. 8/nThis tracking process, called ‘orbit determination,’ involves using mathematical formulae and specially developed software by URSC. Isro chairman S Somnath told me: “Once it reaches there, we will perform periodic manoeuvres to keep the spacecraft in the intended orbit.” 9/nStaying At L1: According to ESA, L1 is one of the ‘unstable’ Lagrange points and keeping a spacecraft exactly at the L1 point is practically impossible. Instead, spacecraft enter orbit around L1 “as if the Lagrange point were an ‘invisible planet’”. 10/n“Even so, due to the instability of this orbit, small trajectory errors will grow quickly. As a result, spacecraft must perform ‘station keeping’ manoeuvres roughly once a month to keep them in the correct orbit.” 11/nSomanath had said earlier that while L1 is an unstable point, the instability is very mild and spread over a long period of time making it still the best place to be for a spacecraft. 12/n“L3 and L4 are much more difficult, for instance,” he had said, adding that if Isro isn’t careful with regard to orbit determination then the spacecraft can diverge. n/n
𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐚, 𝐈 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐢𝐭. 𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐲 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧!Aditya-L1 has successfully entered the Halo orbit around the L1 point.#ISRO #AdityaL1Mission #AdityaL1
India creates yet another landmark. India’s first solar observatory Aditya-L1 reaches it’s destination. It is a testament to the relentless dedication of our scientists in realising among the most complex and intricate space missions. I join the nation in applauding this extraordinary feat. We will continue to pursue new frontiers of science for the benefit of humanity.
#JustIn #update #Space #IndiaAfter multiple carefully planned manoeuvres and 126 days since its launch, #AdityaL1, India’s 1st solar space observatory, has reached a halo orbit around the #L1 point some 1.5 million-km from Earth. #AdityaL1 successfully reaches final destination
