Aditya L1: ISRO Successfully Launched It’s First Solar Mission, Placed in The Orbit
ISRO’s spacecraft was launched with great success from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota on a Saturday. This milestone brings India one step closer to completing its inaugural solar expedition. Utilizing the reliable PSLV, ISRO is embarking on a 125-day voyage to the Sun with the Aditya L1 mission.
The Aditya L1 spacecraft will spend sixteen days in Earth’s orbit. Following this initial phase, after a four-month journey, the satellite will be positioned at the L1 point within the Sun’s halo orbit.
Today, at 11:50 am, the launch occurred from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. ISRO announced that the 23.10-hour countdown for the Aditya L1 mission aboard PSLV C57 began on Friday.
The main goal of Aditya L1 is to enable remote observations of the solar corona and conduct in-situ observations of the solar wind at the L1 point (Sun-Earth Lagrangian point), situated approximately 1.5 million kilometers from Earth.
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Video: ISRO First Misstion to the Sun PSLV-C57
ISRO Gets Congratulations from PM and Chief
Following the triumphant launch of ISRO’s mission to the Sun, ISRO Chief S Somnath extended his congratulations to the PSLV and offered well wishes to the Aditya L-1 spacecraft.
He expressed, “I offer my congratulations to the PSLV team for their inventive mission strategy in effectively executing the Aditya-L1 Mission and accurately placing it within its designated orbit.” The mission will now embark on a lengthy voyage to reach the L1 point, spanning approximately 125 days. Let us all extend our best wishes to the Aditya spacecraft.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi conveyed his congratulations on the successful launch of Aditya L1 into an elliptical orbit.
FAQs Related to Aditya-L1 Spacecraft
What is the Cost of Aditya-L1 Spacecraft?
Ans: The mission’s scope has evolved over time, and it is now designed to serve as a comprehensive observatory for studying the solar and space environment, to be positioned at the Lagrange point L1. Consequently, the mission was rechristened as “Aditya-L1.” As of July 2019, the mission’s budget stood at ₹78.53 crore, excluding launch expenses.
How long will it take Aditya-L1 to reach the Sun?
Ans: Aditya-L1 took off from the Sriharikota launch pad on Saturday at 11:50 AM Indian time (06:20 AM GMT). It will journey approximately 1.5 million kilometers (932,000 miles) away from Earth, which is equivalent to just 1% of the Earth-Sun distance. According to India’s space agency, it is estimated to take four months to cover this distance.
Aditya L1 Launch is successful. What next?
Ans: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) achieved a successful launch of the Solar mission on Saturday. Following the launch, the spacecraft will be initially positioned in a Low Earth Orbit (LEO). Subsequently, the orbit will be gradually transformed into a more elliptical one, and eventually, it will be directed towards the L1 point.
Final Words
Put simply, L1 is a spot in space where the pull of gravity from two celestial bodies, in this case, the Sun and Earth, kind of balances out. This means that if you put an object, like the Aditya L1 satellite, at this point, it will stay fairly steady in relation to both of these celestial bodies.
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The primary goal of this mission is to gain a more profound insight into our nearest star, the Sun, and how its radiation, heat, particle flow, and magnetic fields impact our planet.
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This advanced scientific endeavor will also enable researchers to delve into the Sun’s lower corona layers, with the hope of uncovering the reasons behind why the corona’s temperature reaches a scorching million degrees Celsius, while the Sun’s surface remains relatively cooler at just 5,500 degrees Celsius.
