National Desk, 7th January: In a remarkable achievement, Aditya L1, the solar mission by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), has successfully reached its designated orbit at the Lagrange point, marking the culmination of a trilogy of successes for ISRO. The recent successes include Chandrayaan 3, XPoSat, and now, Aditya L1.
Union Minister for Space, Dr Jitendra Singh, praised the accomplishment, stating, “From Moon walk to Sun Dance! What a glorious turn of the year for Bharat! Under the visionary leadership of PM Narendra Modi, yet another success story scripted by Team ISRO. Aditya L1 reaches its final orbit to discover the mysteries of the Sun-Earth connection.”
In media interviews, Dr Jitendra Singh emphasized the significance of Aditya L1’s success, describing it as a groundbreaking effort to unravel the mysteries of the Sun. He highlighted India’s unique interest in studying solar phenomena due to the large number of satellites in space. Understanding solar activities is crucial, as illustrated by incidents like SpaceX losing 40 satellites to a solar storm after launch.
The mission aims to provide insights into solar heating, solar storms, solar flares, and coronal mass ejections. Aditya L1, designed and realized at UR Rao Satellite Centre (URSC), involves contributions from various ISRO centers. Launched on September 2, 2023, by PSLV-P57, the spacecraft underwent a 110-day cruise phase to reach the halo orbit.
Dr Jitendra Singh highlighted that Aditya L1 is not only indigenous but also cost-effective, with a budget of only Rs. 600 Crore. The successful Halo Orbit insertion (HOI) involved precise navigation and control, showcasing ISRO’s capabilities in complex orbital maneuvers. This success instills confidence in handling future interplanetary missions.