The Indian Space Research Organisation has officially expanded the horizon for domestic solar research by issuing a secondary call for scientific proposals.

This latest Announcement of Opportunity is designed to democratise access to the sophisticated observational data streaming from the Aditya-L1 mission.

By inviting a broader spectrum of the Indian scientific community to engage with the mission’s findings, the space agency aims to squeeze every drop of scientific potential from this historic venture.

Currently, the mission has already generated a staggering 27 terabytes of data, which is hosted in the public domain for global scrutiny. This wealth of information has already borne fruit, underpinning numerous peer-reviewed studies in international journals.

However, this new initiative specifically targets the intellectual capital within India, seeking to bolster the nation’s internal research ecosystem and foster a new generation of solar experts.

The invitation is specifically tailored for researchers, academicians, and scientists affiliated with recognised Indian institutions and universities. To qualify, applicants must demonstrate an active involvement in solar physics and provide a rigorous technical justification for their proposed studies. Those selected will operate as principal investigators, gaining a dedicated window for their observations between July and September of this year.

Aditya-L1 holds a prestigious position as India’s debut dedicated space observatory for solar study. Since its launch in September 2023, the craft has been a marvel of orbital mechanics. It currently resides in a complex halo orbit around the Lagrangian point L1, a gravitational sweet spot located roughly 1.5 million kilometres from Earth. This specific location is crucial as it permits a permanent, unobstructed view of the Sun.

From its vantage point, the spacecraft remains unaffected by the usual terrestrial interruptions of eclipses or occultations. This constancy is vital for monitoring the volatile nature of our star. The mission’s sophisticated suite of seven scientific payloads works in tandem to provide a holistic view of solar activity, split between remote sensing and direct sampling of the space environment.

Four of these instruments act as remote eyes, peering into the various layers of the solar atmosphere. They capture data from the photosphere, chromosphere, and the outermost corona across multiple wavelengths.

These observations are essential for understanding why the corona is significantly hotter than the solar surface, a mystery that has long puzzled the scientific community.

Complementing these are three in-situ instruments that act as "weather stations" in deep space. These sensors measure the solar wind particles and magnetic fields that flow past the spacecraft.

By correlating what is seen on the Sun’s surface with what is felt at the L1 point, scientists can better predict space weather phenomena that have the potential to disrupt satellite communications and power grids on Earth.

ISRO’s decision to widen data access represents a strategic shift towards collaborative excellence. By opening the doors to a wider array of Indian minds, the agency is ensuring that the Aditya-L1 mission does more than just orbit a distant point; it serves as a catalyst for a deeper, more comprehensive understanding of the dynamics that govern our solar system.

ISRO