For an extensive study of the Sun, which of the following is the most recent scientific mission?
- (a)Aditya-L1
- (b)Bhaskara-L2
- (c)Solar Mission-L1
- (d)Solar Orbiter
Correct — A, Aditya-L1. Launched by ISRO on 2 September 2023, Aditya-L1 is India's first dedicated space mission to study the Sun. It travels to a halo orbit around the Sun–Earth Lagrange point L1 (about 1.5 million km from Earth), from where it can continuously observe the Sun's photosphere, chromosphere and outermost layer (corona) without being eclipsed.
- (b)Bhaskara-L2 — There is no ISRO solar mission by this name — 'Bhaskara' refers to India's much older Bhaskara-1 and Bhaskara-2 earth-observation satellites (1979, 1981), unrelated to solar study or the L2 point.
- (c)Solar Mission-L1 — Not the mission's official name — ISRO's Sun-studying spacecraft is formally named Aditya-L1, not 'Solar Mission-L1'.
- (d)Solar Orbiter — Solar Orbiter is a real Sun-studying spacecraft, but it belongs to ESA and NASA (launched 2020), not to India, and is not the mission being asked about here.
Aditya-L1 is ISRO's first mission dedicated entirely to solar science. Placed in a halo orbit around the L1 Lagrange point, it carries a suite of payloads to study the Sun's corona, chromosphere, solar wind and magnetic field — phenomena that affect space weather and satellite/communication systems on Earth.
'Most recent mission' questions test current-affairs awareness layered on basic space-science knowledge. The safest approach is to recognise official ISRO mission names (Aditya-L1, Chandrayaan-3, Mangalyaan) and be suspicious of similar-sounding but unofficial names built to sound plausible, like 'Bhaskara-L2' or 'Solar Mission-L1'.
- Aditya-L1 launched 2 September 2023 — ISRO's first dedicated solar mission
- Positioned in a halo orbit around the Sun–Earth Lagrange point L1
- Studies the Sun's corona, chromosphere and solar wind
- Solar Orbiter (ESA/NASA) is a separate, non-Indian Sun mission
- Mistaking Bhaskara (old earth-observation satellites) for a solar mission
- Confusing India's Aditya-L1 with ESA/NASA's Solar Orbiter or NASA's Parker Solar Probe
Usually names Aditya-L1 alongside plausible-sounding fake or foreign mission names, testing whether the student knows the correct official Indian mission.
No directly related past PYQ was found.
- practice — not a real PYQ
Aditya-L1 is placed in orbit around which Sun–Earth Lagrange point?
- (a)L1
- (b)L2
- (c)L4
- (d)L5
Answer(a) L1 — about 1.5 million km from Earth, towards the Sun.
- practice — not a real PYQ
Which of the following correctly pairs an ISRO mission with its target body?
- (a)Chandrayaan-3 — the Moon
- (b)Aditya-L1 — the Sun
- (c)Mangalyaan — Mars
- (d)All of the above
Answer(d) All of the above — each is a genuine, correctly paired ISRO mission.