Orak was brimming with excitement when he shared the latest news with Felix, Scorch, and Verum, “India successfully launched its solar mission to study the Sun. It’s called Aditya-L1 and it lifted off early this month from the launch pad at Sriharikota!”
Felix looked curious, “Studying the Sun? Why is that important?”
Orak grinned, ready to explain, “Well, you see, the Sun is a star in our solar system and the eight planets, including our Earth, revolve around it. This solar mission will help in understanding the Sun and therefore help in forecasting space weather and keeping satellites safe.”
“How will the mission gather information?” said Scorch.
“It will go to a special spot called Lagrange Point 1, which is between the Sun and Earth. There, the gravitational forces balance out, so the spacecraft can stay without using much fuel. It’s like playing tug of war – if both parties pulling at the rope are equally strong, the rope will not move. For missions like Aditya-L1, staying stationary at one point is important for getting good data,” Orak explained beautifully.
Verum’s eyes lit up with curiosity, “What will Aditya-L1 do at that special spot?”
“In simple words, it will keep an eye on the Sun all the time and use seven instruments to learn about its different parts. This helps scientists understand things like solar wind and solar flares,” Orak said.
Felix nodded, getting the idea, and asked, “Why is this mission important?”
“Solar activities like flares and winds can affect Earth and our satellites. Knowing about them in advance helps us protect our technology and understand our Solar System better, Orak concluded.
“That’s a significant amount, but it sounds like a valuable investment in learning more about our Sun,” said Felix.
Orak nodded, feeling proud of India’s contribution to space exploration.