Why perfumes were a big 'no' for scientists working on Aditya-L1 solar mission

Perfumes and sprays were a big "no" for scientists and engineers of the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) team working on the main payload of Aditya L-1 solar mission in Bengaluru.

That's because even a single particulate matter could have disrupted the researchers' work to prepare Aditya’s main payload -- Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC), the Times of India reported. In fact. to ensure an absolutely sterile environment, the scientists and engineers worked in a cleanroom or "sanctuary" which is 1-lakh times cleaner than a hospital ICU. Every member of the team also had to wear suits resembling futuristic explorers to keep off contamination and even undergo ultrasonic cleaning.

“It (cleanroom) had to be kept 1-lakh times cleaner than a hospital ICU,” Nagabushana S, VELC technical team head, told the Sunday Times of India.  “We used HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filters, isopropyl alcohol (99 percent concentrated), and rigorous protocols to ensure no foreign particles caused disruptions. A single particle discharge could have undone days of hard work,” Sanal Krishna from IIA, a member of the VELC technical team, said.

He added that scientists worked six-hour shifts and did not even use medicinal sprays in the cleanroom.