Aditya-L1 undergoes 2nd Earth-bound maneuver, advances toward target orbit
India's first space-based mission to study the Sun, Aditya-L1, has successfully completed its second Earth-bound maneuver, bringing it closer to its targeted Lagrange point L1. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is taking a leap forward in space exploration with this groundbreaking mission, which aims to provide valuable insights into solar activities and their effects on space weather.
ISRO to perform 2 more Earth-bound maneuvers on satellite
ISRO's Telemetry, Tracking, and Command Network (ISTRAC) carried out the latest operation. Aditya-L1 was tracked by ground stations in Mauritius, Bengaluru, and Port Blair. The new orbit attained is 282km x 40,225km, said ISRO. The next maneuver is planned for Sunday (September 10) around 2:30am IST. Aditya-L1 will be subjected to two more Earth-bound orbital maneuvers before it is put in the transfer orbit toward the Lagrange point L1. The first Earth-bound maneuver was performed on the satellite on Sunday.
Aditya-L1 to be placed about 1.5 million kilometers from Earth
Aditya-L1 will study the Sun from a halo orbit around the first Sun-Earth Lagrangian point (L1), located about 1.5 million kilometers from Earth. At a Lagrange point, the gravitational pull of the Sun and the Earth equals out. This can be used by spacecraft as "parking spots" to remain in a fixed position with less fuel consumption, per NASA. Also, this strategic positioning will allow the spacecraft to continuously monitor the Sun without any occultation or eclipses.
The mission is carrying 7 scientific payloads
Aditya-L1 is carrying seven scientific payloads to observe the Sun, specifically its photosphere (visible surface of the Sun), chromosphere (middle layer), and corona (outermost layer). The payloads have been developed by ISRO and national research laboratories, including the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) and the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA). IUCAA has also helped develop SUIT (Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope). This telescope can record full disk images of the Sun in the 2,000-4,000 angstroms wavelength range.
