The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully injected its first-ever Sun mission into its final orbit.“I have safely arrived at Lagrange Point L1, 1-5 million kilometres away from my home planet. Excited to be far away yet intimately connected to unravel the solar mysteries said a tweet from ISRO ADITYA L-1 on X.
“India creates yet another landmark. India’s first solar observatory Aditya-L1 reaches it destination. It is a testament to the relentless dedication of our scientists in realising among the most complex and intricate space missions. I join the nation in applauding this extraordinary feat. We will continue to pursue new frontiers of science for the benefit of humanity,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated in a post on X (Formerly Twitter)
Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh also applauded ISRO for Aditya L1’s success, stating “From Moon walk to Sun Dance! What a glorious turn of year for Bharat! Under the visionary leadership of PM @narendramodi, yet another success story scripted by Team #ISRO. #AdityaL1 reaches its final orbit to discover the mysteries of Sun-Earth connection.”
Now positioned at the Lagrange Point 1 (L-1), Aditya L-1 is about 1.5 million kilometres from Earth, which is around 1 per cent of the Earth-Sun distance. This key location is critical for its mission as it enables in-depth studies of the Sun’s outer layers, including the photosphere, chromosphere and corona.
Located in a region where the gravitational forces of both Earth and the Sun balance, L-1 provides a stable point for uninterrupted solar observation. Interestingly, Aditya L-1’s journey to launch spans over 15 years, starting as a concept in January 2008 by the Advisory Committee for Space Sciences (AdCoS).
Initially envisioned as a small 400-kilogram satellite in low-Earth orbit, the mission’s scope expanded significantly over the years. Reflecting its evolved scale and objectives, the mission was named ‘Aditya L-1’ in July 2019.
The primary scientific goal of the Aditya L-1 mission is to unravel the secrets of the Sun’s influence on space weather dynamics and Earth’s climate by observing solar phenomena in real-time.
The Aditya-L1 mission will not only study the Sun, but also Earth’s magnetic field and the magnetosphere. It aims to observe how these are affected by solar winds and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) from the Sun. Solar winds are streams of charged particles flowing outward from the Sun, while CMEs are significant bursts of solar material and magnetic field rising from the Sun’s surface, the photosphere.
