Aditya-L1 Completes First Halo Orbit around Sun-Earth L1 Point

Tags: Science and Technology

India's Aditya-L1 spacecraft, the country's first solar mission, has completed its first halo orbit around the Sun-Earth L1 point.

An Overview of the News

• ISRO conducted a station-keeping maneuver recently to transition Aditya-L1 into its second halo orbit smoothly.

• Launched on September 2, 2023, the Aditya-L1 mission is an Indian solar observatory stationed at Lagrangian point L1.

• It was inserted into its targeted halo orbit on January 6, 2024.

• Aditya-L1 takes approximately 178 days to complete one revolution around the L1 point in its halo orbit.

• The spacecraft is subjected to various perturbing forces during its journey, which can cause deviations from its intended orbit.

• ISRO highlighted the complexity of modeling the spacecraft's dynamics around the Sun-Earth L1 Lagrangian point.

Aditya-L1 Mission Overview

• Objective: Study the solar atmosphere, solar magnetic storms, and their impact on Earth's environment.

• Spacecraft Name: Aditya-L1

• Developed By: ISRO and Indian Space Research Institutes

• Orbit: Halo orbit around Lagrange point 1 (L1), 1.5 million km from Earth

• Mission Director: Nigar Shaji

• Launch: 2nd September 2023, aboard PSLV C57 at 11:50 IST

• Orbit Achievement: Reached intended orbit about an hour after launch

• Insertion at L1 Point: 6th January 2024, 4:17 pm IST

• Significance: First Indian Sun observation mission

Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO):

• It was established on 15 August 1969.

• It is the national space agency of India. It launches its space rocket from Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.

• Headquarters: Bengaluru

• Chairman: S Somnath