ISRO Calls for Proposals on Aditya-L1 Solar Observations Two Years After Launch
January 6, 2026
On January 6, 2026, ISRO announced an opportunity for Indian researchers to propose solar observation projects using its Aditya-L1 spacecraft. Two years ago on the same date, the spacecraft reached the Sun-Earth Lagrangian point, about 1.5 million kilometers from Earth. Since its launch on September 2, 2023, Aditya-L1 has continuously observed the Sun without interruptions like eclipses.
ISRO shared that over 23 terabytes of solar data from the mission are publicly available and have supported several important scientific papers. Now, the first cycle of proposals is open for Indian solar physicists to use observation time onboard Aditya-L1. Eligible scientists must be based in India and capable of analyzing the data.
Aditya-L1 carries seven payloads: the Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC), Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT), Solar Low Energy X-ray Spectrometer (SoLEXS), High Energy L1 Orbiting X-ray Spectrometer (HEL1OS), Aditya Solar wind Particle Experiment (ASPEX), Plasma Analyser Package For Aditya (PAPA), and Advanced Tri-axial High Resolution Digital Magnetometers. For this first announcement, proposals can request observation time on VELC and SUIT payloads.
Proposals should be submitted electronically via the Aditya-L1 Proposal Processing System (ALPPS) at the Indian Space Science Data Centre (ISSDC). Approved observations will occur from April to June 2026. This initiative encourages India’s solar science community to benefit from uninterrupted solar studies at the unique L1 location.
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Tags:
Aditya-L1
Isro
Solar Mission
Lagrangian Point
Solar Observations
India
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