– By Rupa Kumari
India creates yet another landmark! India’s first solar observatory Aditya-L1 on Saturday reached it destination. ISRO’s first Sun mission was successfully injected into its final orbit where it will stay for the next five years and study the Sun without any interruption.
Marking the significant occasion, PM Modi joined the nation in applauding this extraordinary feat. “It is a testament to the relentless dedication of our scientists in realising among the most complex and intricate space missions,” said PM Modi on X (formerly Twitter). We will continue to pursue new frontiers of science for the benefit of humanity, he further added.
https://x.com/narendramodi/status/1743583478917017900?s=20
Union Minister Jitendra Singh also hailed the milestone, saying that team ISRO scripted another success story, as AdityaL1 reaches its final orbit to discover the mysteries of Sun-Earth connection.
https://x.com/DrJitendraSingh/status/1743585487393263856?s=20
The L1 point was about 1.5 million km from Earth and getting to the final destination was quite a challenging task as it involves firing of thrusters to change the speed and trajectory of the spacecraft. If the intended orbit is missed in the first attempt, it would require multiple subsequent corrections and thrusters firings required.
It was the first time ISRO was attempting such a manoevre. Earlier, ISRO Chairman S Somanath had said that India’s premier solar mission Aditya-L1 will reach its intended destination, the Lagrangian point (L1), situated 1.5 million km from Earth on January 6.
https://x.com/DDIndialive/status/1743514408368886056?s=20
Since September 18, 2023, Aditya had started collecting scientific data and imaging the Sun. Aditya L1, is Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) maiden solar mission to study the Sun from a halo orbit. Launched on September 2, the spacecraft will study photosphere, chromospheres and corona of the Sun. It has seven payloads developed indigenously, five by ISRO and two by academic institutes in India.