Almost 60 years ago, in 1957, Russia was the first country to launch a satellite into space. That first attempt and the subsequent efforts across countries all these years have made us reach the level where we invented new technology. As of January 2022, there are 8,261 satellites in orbit around the Earth. The United States ranks top in launching a satellite and exploring space technology. In the modern world, the importance of satellites cannot be sidelined, given their importance in everyday routine. Advancement, where the countries are communicating globally, forecasting the future weather, using high data speed service, transacting through digital cards, and tracking climate change- all thanks to over 8 thousand existing satellites in orbit. The uses are not limited to service sectors, as governments are finding new ways to use the scope of satellites. Satellite images are used to demarcate the rural and urban regions in the country. While there is yet more to the exploration of space technology, private companies and governments across countries have increased their investments.
Recently, the Indian Space Research Organisation is set to launch the solar mission- Aditya-L1 today to study solar storms. The mission is set to take 125 days to reach its intended orbit. Last year, 40 out of 49 satellites launched by Elon Musk’s SpaceX were destroyed by a geomagnetic storm triggered by radiation from the sun. IIA Director Annapurni Subramaniam outlined how it has become necessary to study how the sun affects things in space, given the high dependence of people on space technology.