India Launches Aditya-L1 Mission to Study Sun's Outermost Layers

India launched its latest space mission on Saturday, a mission to study the sun's outermost layers. The mission, called Aditya-L1, blasted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, and is expected to reach its destination in four months.

The mission is carrying seven scientific instruments that will study the sun's corona, the outermost layer of its atmosphere. The instruments will measure the temperature, density, and composition of the corona, as well as its magnetic field.

The mission is also expected to help scientists understand how solar flares and coronal mass ejections, two powerful phenomena that can disrupt satellites and communications on Earth, are formed.

"This is a very important mission for India," said K. Sivan, chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). "It will help us to better understand the sun and its impact on our planet."

The launch of Aditya-L1 comes just a week after India's successful landing on the moon. The Chandrayaan-2 mission, which landed on the lunar south pole on September 7, was the first time India had successfully landed a spacecraft on the moon.

India's space program has been growing rapidly in recent years. The country has sent probes to Mars, Venus, and the moon, and is planning to launch a crewed mission to the moon in the coming years.

The Aditya-L1 mission is a further sign of India's growing ambitions in space. The mission is expected to provide valuable insights into the sun, and help scientists to better understand its impact on Earth.