The Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT), a unique space telescope developed by Pune's Inter-University Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), is now ready and has been delivered to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). The telescope is set to be integrated with the ADITYA-L1 mission, expected to be launched in mid-August this year. " It is proud news for us that the telescope will be integrated with the ADITYA-L1 mission as a very important instrument in its array,” said Prof R Srianand, Director of IUCAA. ADITYA-L1 will be ISRO's first space observatory dedicated to studying the Sun. It will fly approximately 1.5 million kilometers from Earth to the L1, or Lagrange point 1, which is one of the five favorable spots for observing the Sun. The mission aims to provide regular images and updates on the Sun's surface phenomena and space weather. The Aditya-L1 mission will carry seven different payloads capable of studying various phenomena on the Sun across the electromagnetic spectrum and solar wind. Prof A N Ramaprakash and Prof Durgesh Tripathi, under whose leadership SUIT has been built at IUCAA, explained that Aditya-L1 will enable seamless measurement of solar radiation from Hard X-ray to Infrared, as well as in-situ measurements of particles in the solar wind and the Sun's magnetic field at the L1 point. "We had to build an ultra-clean room apart from ensuring that there will be no contamination from the particles scattered by the Sun on the payload. Special filters had to be designed to pick up the radiation,” said Prof Ramaprakash. Prof Tripathi highlighted the significance of SUIT's capabilities, stating, "SUIT, for the first time, will allow us to record images in this wavelength crucial for maintaining the Ozone and Oxygen content in the atmosphere of the Earth. SUIT will also measure the UV radiation hazardous for skin cancer." Prof Ramaprakash noted that after the launch of the Aditya-L1 mission, it will take approximately 100 days to reach the halo orbit around the L1 point, where all seven unique payloads will carry out scientific observations. The SUIT telescope will address fundamental questions such as the existence of a higher temperature atmosphere above the cooler surface of the Sun and the origin and variation of near-ultraviolet radiation and high-energy solar flares. "Through SUIT, we shall have a seamless measurement of solar radiation from Hard X-ray to Infrared, as well as in-situ measurements of particles in the solar wind, including the Sun’s magnetic field at the L1 point," added Prof Ramaprakash. The SUIT project involved over 200-300 scientists over the last ten years. In addition to the initial grant of Rs 25 crore from ISRO for the hardware, scientists faced several challenges during the development of the payload, including building an ultra-clean room and designing special filters to capture the radiation.
