Aditya L1 mission LIVE updates: Former ISS Commander Applauds ISRO’s mission for solar threat monitoring
On the occasion of the launch of the Aditya L-1 Mission by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), renowned astronaut and author of “The Apollo Murders,” Chris Hadfield, shared his insights on the mission’s significance in protecting the Earth from the Sun’s potentially catastrophic solar events.
Chris Hadfield drew attention to a significant historical solar event that occurred on this day in the last century, emphasizing the gravity of the Sun’s power. He said, “Well, there’s a terrific example in history. On this day in the last century, the worst solar event that has ever happened blasted the Earth. A huge blob of energy, of high-energy particles, smashed into the Earth… It actually set telegraph machines on fire. That’s going to happen again. So when we put something like Aditya L-1 up there in between us and the Sun to sense those things, to better understand how the Sun works and the threats that it has to the Earth, it’s good for everybody, for protecting us as people… So, it’s a really good new scientific probe to have out there teaching us about the Sun.”
Hadfield stressed the critical role of technology in modern society and said, “Everybody on Earth is counting on technology… We are counting on a really complicated interconnected global electric and data system. The electromagnetic energy that comes from the Sun is both a benefit to that, but also a huge threat to that. So, putting a new sensor in between us and the Sun, that is looking specifically at how the Sun sends out these big damaging ejections of high-energy particles, is really useful information, not just for ISRO and not just for the Indian space program, but it’s something that is sort of vital.”