BANGALORE: Prior to India's upcoming solar mission, Aditya-L1, the Indian Space and Research Organisation (ISRO) reported the successful completion of the launch rehearsal and internal checks of the spacecraft. ISRO shared on the 'X' platform (formerly known as Twitter), "PSLV-C57/Aditya-L1 Mission: Launch preparations are advancing. Launch Rehearsal and Vehicle Internal Checks have been finalized."
The Aditya-L1 mission marks India's inaugural solar exploration endeavor, aiming to study the sun closely. In an official statement by ISRO, the Aditya L1 spacecraft is equipped with seven payloads designed to observe the sun's photosphere, chromosphere, and the outermost layer, known as the corona. These observations rely on electromagnetic, particle, and magnetic field detectors. Leveraging the strategic vantage point of L1, four payloads are dedicated to direct solar observation, while the remaining three payloads conduct in-situ analysis of particles and fields at the Lagrange point L1. This approach offers valuable insights into the propagation effects of solar dynamics in the interplanetary space.
The suite of Aditya L1 payloads is anticipated to furnish crucial information for comprehending coronal heating, coronal mass ejections, pre-flare and flare activities, dynamics of space weather, and the behavior of particles and fields. ISRO's update on the 'X' platform also included an image release of the Vikram lander captured by the Chandrayaan's Pragyan rover.
ISRO reported, "Pragyan Rover captured an image of Vikram Lander today. The Navigation Camera onboard the Rover (NavCam) facilitated this image." The Pragyan rover stands as a significant component of the Chandrayaan-3 mission, geared towards exploring the moon's southern pole.
On a different note, ISRO conveyed that the Pragyan Rover has successfully identified the presence of Sulphur on the lunar surface. The Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscope (LIBS) instrument aboard the Pragyan Rover unequivocally confirmed the existence of Sulphur (S) near the moon's southern pole through pioneering in-situ measurements. ISRO shared, "Chandrayaan-3 Mission: Ongoing in-situ scientific experiments. LIBS instrument on the Rover confirms Sulphur (S) on lunar surface near southern pole in first-of-its-kind in-situ assessment."
The Chandrayaan-3 mission prominently encompasses three modules: the propulsion module responsible for transferring the lander and rover to a lunar orbit of 100 kilometers, the Lander module accountable for the lunar craft's soft landing, and the Rover module tasked with lunar surface exploration. India achieved a monumental milestone on August 23, with the successful landing of the Chandrayaan-3 lander module on the moon's southern pole. This accomplishment propelled the country to become the fourth, following the US, China, and Russia, to achieve a successful lunar landing.
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