ISRO successfully deploys magnetometer boom on Aditya-L1 spacecraft

The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has announced the successful deployment of a 6-meter long magnetometer boom on the Aditya-L1 spacecraft which is on a mission to study the sun.

According to ISRO's press release, the magnetometer boom, which houses two fluxgate magnetometers that measure the interplanetary magnetic field in space, was deployed in the Halo orbit at the Sun-Earth Lagrange point L-1, on January 11, 2024.

The boom was stowed for 132 days since the spacecraft's launch in September 2023. During the stowed condition, it is securely held in position by two hold-downs, transferring launch loads to the spacecraft body.

Aditya-L1 Mission:The 6m magnetometer boom, previously stowed for 132 days, is now successfully deployed in the Halo orbit.The boom houses two fluxgate magnetometers that measure the interplanetary magnetic field in space.Details: https://t.co/ZrSKAVu1z4 pic.twitter.com/Xq4LmwBhwE

— ISRO (@isro) January 25, 2024

For the unversed, Aditya-L1, the first-ever Indian solar observatory at Lagrangian point L1, was launched by ISRO's PLSV-C57 launch vehicle on September 2, 2023, from SDSC SHAR, into an elliptical parking orbit (EPO). The observatory entered Halo orbit on January 6, 2024. The mission's key objective is to observe and understand the chromospheric and coronal dynamics of the Sun without any interruption.