ISRO Successfully Launches India’s Inaugural Solar Mission, Aditya L1, from Sriharikota

• ByStartupStory     |    September 2, 2023

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully launched India’s maiden solar mission, Aditya-L1. This groundbreaking mission is set to explore the sun in ways never before possible, with Aditya-L1 becoming the first space-based observatory dedicated to studying our closest star.

Launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota on a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), Aditya-L1 marks a remarkable achievement for India’s space agency. Over the course of 125 days and a journey spanning approximately 1.5 million kilometers from Earth, the spacecraft will eventually be placed in a Halo orbit around the Lagrangian point L1, which is situated closest to the sun.

PSLV-C57/Aditya-L1 Mission:
The 23-hour 40-minute countdown leading to the launch at 11:50 Hrs. IST on September 2, 2023, has commended today at 12:10 Hrs.

The launch can be watched LIVE
on ISRO Website https://t.co/osrHMk7MZL
Facebook https://t.co/zugXQAYy1y
YouTube…

— ISRO (@isro) September 1, 2023

The primary objectives of the Aditya-L1 mission encompass an array of ambitious scientific endeavors. These include understanding coronal heating, solar wind acceleration, initiation of coronal mass ejection, near-earth space weather, and solar wind distribution. To carry out these comprehensive studies, Aditya-L1 is equipped with seven scientific payloads.

Dr. K. Sivan, ISRO Chairman, expressed the significance of this mission, stating, “The sun is a giant sphere of gas, and Aditya-L1 would study the outer atmosphere of the sun.” He emphasized that the mission’s purpose is not to land on the sun but to meticulously study the sun’s outer regions.

Aditya-L1’s launch comes hot on the heels of another ISRO success, the Chandrayaan-3 mission, which recently made headlines with its successful landing on the moon. Chandrayaan-3’s objective is to enhance our understanding of the moon, particularly its South Pole region. This mission recently confirmed the presence of sulphur in the region, shedding new light on lunar compositions.

The Aditya-L1 spacecraft will remain in Earth’s orbit for the initial sixteen days of its journey. After four months, it will be precisely positioned at the L1 point, a location approximately 1.5 million kilometers from Earth, where it can perform its scientific observations optimally.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his congratulations for the successful launch of Aditya-L1, emphasizing India’s relentless scientific efforts to enhance humanity’s understanding of the universe.

Union Minister of State Dr. Jitendra Singh referred to the launch as a ‘sunshine moment for India,’ lauding ISRO’s team for their remarkable achievement.

ISRO Chief S. Somanath confirmed the successful launch of Aditya-L1 and mentioned that the spacecraft was injected into an elliptical orbit, from where it will commence its journey to the L1 point after a series of maneuvers.

India’s Aditya-L1 mission is poised to make significant contributions to our understanding of the sun and its influence on our planet. With an unwavering commitment to scientific exploration, ISRO continues to push the boundaries of space research, opening up new frontiers in our quest for knowledge.

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