Aditya L1 travels 50,000 km away from Earth

It begins collecting science data...


The Aditya L1 spacecraft has begun gathering science data from there.

 

The Indian Space Research Organisation activated the Supra Thermal & Energetic Particle Spectrometer instrument and commenced its data collection process. 

 

The STEPS instrument is a part of the Aditya Solar Wind Particle Experiment (ASPEX) payload, designed to study solar and interplanetary processes.

 

The STEPS instrument comprises six sensors, each observing in different directions.

 

It measures supra-thermal and energetic ions, along with electrons around Earth's environment. These measurements are conducted using low and high-energy particle spectrometers.

 

The data collected during Earth’s orbits will enable scientists to analyse the behavior of particles surrounding the Earth, particularly in the presence of Earth's magnetic field.

 

The STEPS instrument was activated on September 10, at a distance greater than 50,000 km from Earth. 

 

This distance is equivalent to more than eight times the Earth's radius, placing it well beyond Earth's radiation belt region.

 

After completing the necessary data collection continued until the spacecraft had moved more than 50,000 km away from Earth.

 

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