On 6th January 2024, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully performed the crucial manoeuvre(final manoeuvre) of injecting the Aditya-L1 spacecraft, India’s first space-based observatory-class solar probe to study the Sun, into the halo orbit around Lagrangian point 1 (L1).
- Aditya L1 has travelled around 3.7 million kilometers in 126 days to reach L1.
- This marks the transition of Aditya L1 mission from cruise phase to orbit phase.
Points to note:
i.After a flight duration of 63 minutes and 20 seconds, Aditya L1 was successfully injected into an elliptical orbit of 235×19500 km around the Earth.
ii.The satellite in the orbit around L1 will have the advantage of continuously viewing the sun without any eclipse.
iii.Following this, ISRO will perform periodic manoeuvre to keep the spacecraft in the intended orbit.
Milestones of Aditya L1 mission:
Launch:
Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C57) launched Aditya L1 on 2nd September 2023 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh(AP).
Click here to know more about Aditya L1 launch
Earth Bound Manoeuvres:
Between 3rd and 15th September 2023, the ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) in Bengaluru, Karnataka, has carried out 4 Earth-Bound Manoeuvres (EBN).
Trans-Lagrangian1 insertion manoeuvre:
i.On 19th September 2023, Aditya L1 underwent the Trans-Lagrangian1 insertion manoeuvre which marked its 110-day trajectory journey towards the L1 point.
ii.On 30th September 2023, Aditya L1 travelled beyond a distance of 9.2 lakh km from Earth and escaped the sphere of Earth’s influence and began its journey towards L1.
iii.On 8th October 2023, Trajectory Correction Manoeuvre (TCM), was performed to correct the trajectory evaluated after tracking the TL1I.
Highlights:
On 18th September 2023, Supra Thermal & Energetic Particle Spectrometer (STEPS) instrument, a part of Aditya Solar Wind Particle EXperiment (ASPEX) payload, started the collection of scientific data.
On 29th October 2023, High Energy L1 Orbiting X-ray Spectrometer (HEL1OS) on board Aditya L1 recorded the impulsive phase of solar flares.
About Lagrangian point (L1):
L1, around 1.5 million km away from the Earth, is a balanced gravitational location between the Earth and the Sun.
This is around 1% of the distance between the Earth and the Sun (150 million km).
Lagrangian points:
The Lagrangian points are particular locations in the space where the gravitational forces of 2 body systems create a heightened attraction and repulsion. These points can be used as “parking spots” for the spacecrafts in the space to remain in a fixed position and enable them reduce their fuel consumption.
There are totally five Lagrange points, denoted as L1, L2, L3, L4, and L5.
About Aditya L1 Mission:
Aditya in Sanskrit means the ‘Sun’. The term refers to the Hindu god of the Sun, who is also known as ‘Aditya’.
Aditya L1, the cube-shaped satellite with a honeycomb sandwich structure, has launch mass of 1475 kilograms.
Aditya L1 is powered using a lithium-ion battery.
Dimensions: 89 centimeters x 89 cm x 61.5 cm.
Cost: The solar mission reportedly costs around Rs 400 crores.
Note: Aditya-L1 mission was conceptualised in January 2008 by the Advisory Committee for Space Sciences (ADCOS).
Scientific objectives:
i.Study about coronal heating and solar wind acceleration.
ii.Observe the in-situ particle and plasma environment, providing data for the study of particle dynamics from the Sun.
iii.Development, dynamics and origin of coronal mass ejections (CMEs), flares, and near earth space weather.
iv.Magnetic field topology and magnetic field measurements in the solar corona.
v.Drivers for space weather (origin, composition and dynamics of solar wind)
vi.Dynamics of solar atmosphere and temperature anisotropy.
The mission will study the solar corona (the outermost layer); the photosphere (the Sun’s surface) and the chromosphere (a thin layer of plasma between the photosphere and the corona).
Mission Director: Nigar Shaji, a scientist at the UR Rao Satellite Centre(URSC), part of ISRO, in Bengaluru, Karnataka. Nigar Shaji hails from Tenkasi, Tamil Nadu.
The Payloads of Aditya L1:
Aditya L1 carries 7 payloads to observe the photosphere, chromosphere, and corona (the outermost layers of the Sun) using electromagnetic and particle detectors.
- 4 payloads will directly view the Sun and 3 payloads will carry out in-situ studies of particles and fields at the L1.
- These payloads were indigenously developed in collaboration with various ISRO Centres and Scientific Institutes.
Details of the payloads:
| Payload | Developed by |
|---|---|
| Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC) | Indian Institute of Astrophysics(IIA), Bengaluru, Karnataka |
| Solar Low Energy X-ray Spectrometer (SoLEXS) | U R Rao Satellite Centre, Bengaluru |
| Plasma Analyser Package for Aditya (PAPA) | Space Physics Laboratory(SPL), Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre(VSSC), Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, |
| High Energy L1 Orbiting X-ray Spectrometer (HEL1OS) | U R Rao Satellite Centre, Bengaluru |
| Solar Ultra-violet Imaging Telescope (SUIT) | Inter-University Centre for Astronomy & Astrophysics (IUCAA), Pune, Maharashtra. |
| Aditya Solar wind Particle EXperiment (ASPEX) | Physical Research Laboratory(PRL), Ahmedabad, Gujarat. |
| Magnetometer | Laboratory for Electro-Optics Systems, Bengaluru |
Note –
On November 7, 2023, HEL1OS captured first High-Energy X-ray glimpse of Solar Flares.
Other Operational spacecraft at L1:
Other 4 operational spacecrafts at L1 includes,
| Spacecraft | Mission Design and Management | Launch year |
|---|---|---|
| WIND | National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) | 1994 |
| Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) | European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA | 1995 |
| Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) | NASA | 1997 |
| Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVER) | NASA & National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) | 2015 |
Recent Releated News:
i.On 21st October 2023, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched Gaganyaan’s first flight Test Vehicle Abort Mission-1 (TV-D1) from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh(AP).
ii.On 30th July 2023, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched the PSLV-C56/DS-SAR Mission, Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV–C56) carrying 7 Singapore Satellites – DS-SAR as primary satellite along with 6 co-passengers, from the First Launch Pad (FLP) Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh (AP).
About Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO):
ISRO operates as the primary research and development arm of the Department of Space (DoS).
Chairman– S. Somanath
Headquarters– Bengaluru, Karnataka
Formed on – 1969
