The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is on the verge of achieving a significant milestone with the Aditya-L1 spacecraft, set to enter its final destination orbit approximately 1.5 million kilometers from Earth. This critical manoeuvre is scheduled to take place on Saturday, signaling a key phase in India’s foray into space-based solar observation.
Aditya-L1, India’s maiden space-based observatory dedicated to studying the sun, embarked on its journey when it was launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota on September 2 of the previous year.
The ISRO Telemetry Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) in Bengaluru played a crucial role in directing the spacecraft toward its intended destination through four earth-bound manoeuvres between September 3 and 15.
On September 19, the spacecraft underwent the Trans-Lagrangian Point 1 insertion manoeuvre, marking the initiation of its 110-day voyage to the halo orbit around the Lagrangian point (L1), situated approximately 1.5 million km from Earth.
ISRO scientists and engineers from the Mission Operations Complex of ISTRAC are poised to execute the critical manoeuvre around 4 pm on Saturday. The spacecraft, powered by a 440 Newton Liquid Apogee Motor (LAM) engine along with thrusters, will be intermittently fired to accomplish this crucial orbital shift.
Aditya-L1 is equipped with seven payloads designed to observe the sun’s photosphere, chromosphere, and corona. Four payloads will have a direct view of the sun, while the remaining three will conduct instantaneous studies of solar emissions.
With a mission life of five years, Aditya-L1’s payloads are expected to provide valuable insights into various solar phenomena, including coronal heating, coronal mass ejection, pre-flare and flare activities, and space weather.
Upon reaching the Lagrangian point (L1), Aditya-L1 will join four operational probes, including NASA’s WIND, Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE), and Deep Space Climate Observatory, along with the joint NASA and European Space Agency mission Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO).
