INDIA is now heading to the sun – sort of.
Having achieved a successful moon landing, the Indian space authorities will launch their first solar observatory.
The Aditya-LI, due to be launched in early September, would study solar winds that could cause disturbances on earth.
It is hoped that, over time, data would help to better understand the sun’s impact on the earth’s climate patterns.
The investigation by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) follows findings by American and European agencies of relatively small jets of charged particles being expelled from the corona, the sun’s outer atmosphere.
The Aditya-LI, described as a heavy-duty launch vehicle, will travel 1.5 million kilometres for about four months to study the sun’s atmosphere.
The vehicle would spend time in an area where objects could remain for long periods because of balancing gravitational forces.
Being in that so-called parking lot would result in less fuel consumption.
Indian space officials are high in confidence following the historic landing of the Chandrayaan-3 on the lunar south pole.
The rover in the lander module has since rolled out and is undertaking scientific experiments on the moon’s surface.
The relevant scientific equipment is seeking to determine the chemical and mineralogical compositions.
The equipment could ascertain the elemental composition, such as magnesium, aluminum, silicon, potassium, calcium, titanium, and iron.
Meanwhile, it has been explained that the scientists at ISRO are receiving ordinary salaries and that is one reason for the relatively low-cost lunar mission.
