Aditya L1 Launch Highlights: Observatory's First Orbit-Raising Manoeuvre To Occur On This Date
Aditya-L1, India’s first space-based solar observatory to study the Sun, was launched today (September 2), at 11:50 am IST, atop a PSLV-XL (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle) rocket, from Sriharikota.
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Background
Aditya-L1, India’s first space-based solar observatory to study the Sun, will be launched today (September 2), at 11:50 am IST, atop a PSLV-XL (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle) rocket, from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) aims to place Aditya-L1 in a halo orbit around a special point in space, known as Lagrange point 1 (L1). It will take Aditya-L1 about 125 days to reach its destination, ISRO Chief S Somanath has said.
L1 is located 1.5 million kilometres from Earth, which is about one per cent of the distance between the Sun and the Earth.
Aditya-L1: Where will it be placed? And why?
Aditya-L1 will be placed in a halo orbit around a Lagrange point because it is a special location in space where the gravitational forces exerted by the Sun and the Earth are balanced, as a result of which an equilibrium condition exists, and the spacecraft is able to save fuel. The speciality of L1 is that it will allow Aditya-L1 to have an uninterrupted view of the Sun for five years, which is the spacecraft’s mission duration.
Aditya-L1: What will the spacecraft’s trajectory be?
After being launched, Aditya-L1 will move towards low-Earth orbit, and be placed into a circular orbit. Next, the spacecraft will undergo an orbit-raising manoeuvre to ensure that its orbit becomes elliptical. Aditya-L1 will undergo three such orbit-raising manoeuvres to ensure that after each perigee burn, the orbit becomes more elliptical.
After this, Aditya-L1 will exit Earth’s sphere of influence and enter the cruise phase. This is a crucial phase because it will place Aditya-L1 on the path leading to halo orbit insertion. Once Aditya-L1 reaches the halo orbit, it will keep hovering around L1 with minimal fuel expenditure.
Aditya-L1: What its payloads are, and what they will do
The spacecraft is equipped with seven payloads, four of which are spectrometers, two are particle analysers, and one is a magnetometer.
The spectrometers are called the remote sensing payloads, and the particle analysers and the magnetometer are called the in-situ payloads.
Aditya-L1 will study solar activities, and also conduct in-situ experiments on the environment around L1.
Aditya-L1: When and how to watch
One can witness the launch of Aditya-L1 live on the official website, YouTube channel, or Facebook account of ISRO, or on DD National. The livestream will start at 11:20 am IST.
Aditya L1 Launch Highlights: Observatory's First Orbit-Raising Manoeuvre To Occur On This Date
Aditya-L1's first orbit-raising manoeuvre will occur on September 3, 2023.
Aditya L1 Live: Till Now Only Earth-Based Observations Have Been Used In India To Study The Sun, Says Senior Engineer At Nehru Planetarium
OP Gupta, a senior engineer at Nehru Planetarium, New Delhi, said after the successful launch of Aditya-L1 that till now, only Earth-based observatories have been used in India to study the Sun. He said there is such an observatory in Udaipur. However, Aditya-L1 marks the first time that a space-based solar observatory will study the Sun.
#WATCH | On the successful launch of Aditya-L1, OP Gupta, Senior Engineer, Nehru Planetarium says, "Till now only earth-based observatories have been used to study the sun in India. There is an observatory in Udaipur. But this is the first time that after sending this mission and… pic.twitter.com/3fG6rWFz8W
— ANI (@ANI) September 2, 2023
Aditya L1 Launch Live: It Is Indeed A Sunshine Moment For India, Says Union Minister Jitendra Singh
After the successful launch of Aditya-L1, Union Minister of Science and Technology Jitendra Singh said that this is “indeed a sunshine moment for India”.
VIDEO | "Congratulations, ISRO. While the whole world watched this with bated breath, it is indeed a sunshine moment for India," says Union minister @DrJitendraSingh on the launch of Aditya-L1 Mission.#AdityaL1Launch #AdityaL1Mission pic.twitter.com/5qiBiB3Qqm
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 2, 2023
Aditya L1 Launch Live: Thank You PM Modi For Telling Us That Sky Is Not The Limit, Says Union Minister Jitendra Singh
Union Minister of Science and Technology Jitendra Singh thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the successful launch of Aditya-L1. He said, "Thank you, PM Modi for making this happen by opening up new vistas for India's new space sector and telling us that sky is not the limit”.
VIDEO | "Thank you, PM Modi for making this happen by opening up new vistas for India's new space sector and telling us that sky is not the limit," says Union minister @DrJitendraSingh on the launch of Aditya-L1 Mission.#AdityaL1Launch #AdityaL1Mission pic.twitter.com/ym2X5iIs6s
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 2, 2023
Aditya L1 Launch Live: Journey To L1 Is Very Long, Says ISRO Chief
ISRO Chief S Somanath said after the launch of Aditya-L1 that the journey of the spacecraft to L1 is a very long one.
VIDEO | "I congratulate PSLV for such a very different mission approach to do the Aditya-L1 Mission. From now, the Mission will start its journey from the L1 point. It's a very long journey of almost 125 days. Let us wish all the best to Aditya spacecraft," says ISRO chairman S… pic.twitter.com/scFLcChVuK
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 2, 2023
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