India's space agency, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), is set to launch a satellite to survey the Sun on September 2. The Aditya-L1 mission, named after the Hindi word for "sun," will be India's first solar mission.
The Aditya-L1 spacecraft will be placed in a halo orbit around the Sun-Earth Lagrange point 1 (L1), which is located about 1.5 million kilometers (930,000 miles) from Earth. This orbit will allow the spacecraft to have a continuous view of the Sun without any obstructions.
The Aditya-L1 spacecraft will carry seven payloads to study the Sun's outermost layers, known as the photosphere and chromosphere. The payloads will use a variety of instruments to measure the Sun's magnetic field, solar wind, and other properties.
The Aditya-L1 mission is expected to help scientists better understand the Sun and its impact on Earth. The mission will also help India to build its expertise in solar research.
The launch of the Aditya-L1 mission comes just days after India's Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft successfully landed on the Moon's south pole. The Chandrayaan-3 mission was India's second attempt to land on the Moon, and its first successful landing on the south pole.
The Aditya-L1 mission is part of India's ambitious space program, which has made significant progress in recent years. India has become the fourth country to successfully land on the Moon, and it is also planning to send a crewed mission to the Moon in the coming years.
The Aditya-L1 mission is a major milestone for India's space program, and it is expected to make significant contributions to our understanding of the Sun.