Aditya-L1: India’s first solar mission successfully enters final orbit for uninterrupted sun observation

Aditya-L1, the inaugural mission by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) aimed at solar study, successfully reachedits designated orbit on Saturday (Jan 6), concluding its ambitious journey that commenced over four months ago from ISRO's Sriharikota launchpad.

This nearly 1,500 kg satellite, developed at a cost of $50 million, will serve as India's primary space-based observatory dedicated to studying the sun from a distance of approximately 1.5 million kilometresaway from Earth.

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The mission aims to observe the Sun's corona and understand its extreme heat from its orbit.

Positioned in a halo orbit encircling Lagrange point 1 (L1) at approximately 4 pm, the chosen final insertion point offers a strategic advantage. This orbit remains unaffected by eclipses, allowing uninterrupted observation of the Sun.

The Lagrange Point is a unique spot where there is an equilibrium between the gravitational forces of the Earth and the Sun. While absolute neutralisation is not achievable due to the forces of other celestial bodies like Moon, Mars, and Venus, the L1 point nonetheless provides a stable position for observational purposes.

Hailing the feat, Union Minister of State Science & Technology Dr Jitendra Singh said in a tweet, "What a glorious turn of year for Bharat. Under the visionary leadership of PM Modi, yet another success story scripted by Team ISRO. Aditya L1 reaches its final orbit to discover the mysteries of the Sun-Earth connection."

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ISRO has outlined the primary scientific goals of the Aditya-L1 mission as follows

- Investigate the dynamics of the solar upper atmosphere, specifically the chromosphere and corona.

- Explore the heating processes in the chromosphere and corona, examine the physics of partially ionised plasma, understand the initiation of coronal mass ejections, and study solar flares.

- Observe the in-situ particle and plasma environment, providing valuable data for analysing particle dynamics originating from the sun.

- Examine the physics of solar corona and its heating mechanisms.

- Perform diagnostics on the plasma of coronal loops, including temperature, velocity, and density measurements.

- Investigate the development, dynamics, and origin of Coronal Mass Ejections (CME).

- Identify the sequence of processes occurring at various layers (chromosphere, base, and extended corona) leading to solar eruptive events.

- Study the magnetic field topology and obtain measurements of the magnetic field in the solar corona.

- Explore the origin, composition, and dynamics of solar wind, aiming to understand the drivers for space weather.

Aditya-L1 spacecraft was launched from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, on September 2 last year. After a flight of 63 minutes and 20 seconds, it was successfully injected into an elliptical orbit of 235x19500 km around the Earth. It then underwent a series of manoeuvres and headed towards the Lagrange Point 1(L1)after having escaped the Earth’s sphere of influence.

(With inputs from agencies)