Aditya-L1 Sun Mission: Enhancing India-Mexico Relations

India has successfully launched its inaugural Sun mission: the Aditya-L1. This project will expand the body of knowledge pertaining to the Sun's influence on Earth's climate and space weather, which can affect satellite functionality.

India's inaugural Sun mission, Aditya-L1, took flight from the launch pad at Sriharikota island on a Saturday morning, mere days after India's historic lunar landing near the Moon's south pole. Aditya-L1 embarked on its journey at 11:50 Indian time (01:20 CST), charting a course for a distant destination about 1.5 million km from Earth, a mere 1% of the Earth-Sun distance. According to the Indian Space Research Agency (ISRO), this voyage is estimated to take about four months to complete.

Named in honor of the Hindu god of the Sun, Aditya-L1's primary mission is to observe and study the Sun. The "L1" designation in its name signifies Lagrange point 1, a unique location between the Sun and Earth where gravitational forces balance, allowing spacecraft to maintain a stationary position. This strategic position enables Aditya-L1 to orbit the Sun at the same rate as Earth, minimizing the need for fuel.

ISRO scientists confirmed the launch's success after an hour and four minutes of flight time. "Now it will continue on its journey — it is a very long journey of 135 days; let us wish it the best of luck," says Sreedhara Panicker Somanath, Chief, ISRO.

Aditya-L1 is equipped with seven specialized scientific instruments designed to investigate various aspects of the Sun, including its outermost layer, the solar corona, the visible photosphere and the plasma-rich chromosphere situated between the photosphere and corona. These instruments aim to advance our understanding of solar phenomena like solar wind and solar flares, shedding light on their implications for Earth's climate and near-space weather.

Nigar Shaji Project Director, ISRO, emphasized that Aditya-L1's strategic positioning will benefit not only India but also hold significant value for the global scientific community. Positioned strategically, Aditya-L1 will enable continuous solar observations, even during eclipses, thus elevating the scope of scientific research. 

Furthermore, this development can have a favorable impact on Mexico due to the country's strong bilateral relations with India. In 2022, during Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard's visit to India, space cooperation emerged as a key focus area. Collaboration in the field of space exploration has increasingly become a significant point of interest for both countries. The allure and potential of space have captivated the imaginations of both India and Mexico for an extended period. Since 2014, efforts have been made to foster cooperation in the realm of space exploration between India and Mexico. In 2014, ISRO and the Mexican Space Agency (AEM) formalized an agreement on 'Space Cooperation for Peaceful Purposes.' As part of this pact, three officials from the Mexican Space Agency participated in training on "Forest Fire Monitoring through Space Technologies" at the Indian Institute of Remote Sensing, Dehradun, in August 2019.

Several other agencies are studying the Sun, including NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA).NASA's Parker Solar Probe recently achieved a groundbreaking milestone by traversing the Sun's outer atmosphere, contributing significantly to the ongoing enhancement of comprehension of the Sun's dynamic behavior.

According to Indian media reports, the estimated project cost of Aditya L1 is US$46 million.