The national space agency said that the sensors on STEPS or the Supra Thermal & Energetic Particle Spectrometer instrument began measuring supra-thermal and energetic ions and electrons at distances greater than 50,000 km from Earth India’s Aditya-L1 solar mission spacecraft has commenced collecting scientific data to help scientists analyse particles surrounding Earth, ISRO said on Monday The sensors on board India’s first solar observatory have begun measuring ions and electrons at distances greater than 50,000 km from Earth, ISRO announced in a post on X.After completing the necessary instrument health checks, data collection continued until the spacecraft had moved farther than 50,000 km from Earth.
The instrument is a part of the Aditya Solar Wind Particle EXperiment (ASPEX) payload of Aditya L1.STEPS comprises six sensors, each observing in different directions and measuring supra-thermal and energetic ions ranging from 20 keV/nucleon to 5 MeV/nucleon, in addition to electrons exceeding 1 MeV. These measurements are conducted using low and high-energy particle spectrometers.The data collected during Earth’s orbits helps scientists to analyse the behaviour of particles surrounding the Earth, especially in the presence of its magnetic field.STEPS 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.
These STEPS measurements will persist during the cruise phase of the Aditya-L1 mission as it progresses toward the Sun-Earth L1 point. They will continue once the spacecraft is positioned in its intended orbit.Data collected around L1 would provide insights into the origin, acceleration, and anisotropy of solar wind and space weather phenomenaSTEPS was developed by the Physical Research Laboratory with support from the Space Application Centre in AhmedabadThe spacecraft carries seven different payloads to study the Sun, four of which will observe the light from the Sun and the remaining three will measure in situ parameters of the plasma and magnetic fields.
The Indian Space Research Organisation activated the Supra Thermal & Energetic Particle Spectrometer (STEPS) 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.In a significant development, the Aditya L1 spacecraft has begun gathering science data, even before it begins its journey to Lagrange Point 1.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 regionAfter completing the necessary instrument health checks, data collection continued until the spacecraft had moved farther than 50,000 km from Earth
Each unit of STEPS is operating within normal parameters. A figure displays measurements depicting variations in the energetic particle environment within Earth’s magnetosphere, collected by one of the units. These STEPS measurements will persist during the cruise phase of the Aditya-L1 mission as it progresses toward the Sun-Earth L1 point. They will continue once the spacecraft is positioned in its intended orbit,” Isro said in a statement.Aditya-L1 will be placed in a halo orbit around the Lagrangian Point 1 (L1), which is 1.5 million km from the Earth in the direction of the Sun. It will revolve around the Sun with the same relative position and hence can see the Sun continuously.