In a significant milestone, the Aditya-L1 spacecraft has successfully completed its fifth and final Earth-bound manoeuvre, setting it on a course towards the Sun-Earth Lagrange Point 1 (L1). The manoeuvre, known as the Trans-Lagrangean Point 1 Insertion (TL1I), took place on September 19, 2023, at 2:00 am IST, and marked Aditya-L1’s departure from Earth’s gravitational sphere of influence (SOI).
Aditya-L1, India’s pioneering space-based solar observatory designed to study the Sun, is now poised to enter a halo orbit around L1, its ultimate destination. This journey is expected to take approximately 110 days to complete, and the spacecraft will enter the cruise phase as it embarks on this remarkable voyage.
The successful execution of the TL1I manoeuvre was a testament to the precision and expertise of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). With this achievement, ISRO has once again demonstrated its capability to transfer a spacecraft onto a precise trajectory towards a celestial object or location in space.
Aditya-L1’s mission to the Sun-Earth L1 point holds great promise for advancing our understanding of the Sun’s dynamics and its impact on space weather. This observatory will be equipped with state-of-the-art instruments to capture crucial data and observations that will contribute to scientific research and our ability to forecast solar events that can affect Earth.
The milestone did not go unnoticed by ISRO, which took to social media to share the news. On X (formerly Twitter), ISRO posted: “Off to Sun-Earth L1 point!” The enthusiasm surrounding this mission reflects the dedication of the scientists and engineers who have worked tirelessly to ensure its success.
As Aditya-L1 embarks on its journey to the Sun-Earth L1 point, the scientific community and space enthusiasts eagerly await the invaluable insights and discoveries that will undoubtedly emerge from this ambitious mission.
