Aditya L1: When the spacecraft reaches its destination, it will be able to see the sun without any eclipses. The Indian Space Research Organization’s (ISRO) first solar mission, Aditya L1, is scheduled to be launched into its final orbit today at approximately 4 p.m. today, marking the last maneuver needed to reach its destination. In a statement to news agency ANI on Monday, S Somanath, the head of ISRO, announced that Aditya-L1 is poised to reach its L1 point on January 6 at 4 pm. The upcoming plan involves executing the final maneuver to ensure its stable position at that location.
Having embarked on its journey on September 2 of the previous year, the spacecraft is now on the verge of reaching its ultimate destination. Following four successful earth-bound maneuvers and a Trans-Lagrangean Point 1 Insertion (TL1I) maneuver, the spacecraft is set to achieve an unobstructed view of the sun, devoid of any eclipses. The primary objective of this mission is to scrutinize the Sun’s corona and unravel the mysteries surrounding its extreme heat. This will be accomplished from a distinctive halo orbit positioned around the initial Sun-Earth Lagrangian point (L1), situated approximately 1.5 million km away from Earth.
A special place where the gravitational forces between the Earth and the Sun equalize is called the Lagrange Point. The influence of other celestial bodies, including the Moon, Mars, and Venus, prevents absolute neutralization; however, the L1 point offers a stable position for observational purposes.
Ratnavali