Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)’s first Sun mission Aditya L1 has successfully entered its final destinations near the sun- the Halo Orbit. ISRO tweeted the development saying, “India, I did it. I have reached to my destination! Aditya-L1 has successfully entered the Halo orbit around the L1 point”.
On Saturday, 6 January, ISRO performed the final manoeuvre to inject Aditya-L1 spacecraft — the first space-based Indian observatory to study the Sun — into its final destination orbit, some 1.5 million kilometres from the Earth.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi first broke the news of the solar observatory satellite entering the Halo orbit. He hailed ‘another landmark’ of India, the other being CHandrayaan-3, which was the first to land on Moon’s South Pole.
India’s first solar observatory Aditya-L1 has reached its destination, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Saturday, asserting that it is a testament to the relentless dedication of scientists in realising one of the most complex and intricate space missions.
Modi said he joins the nation in applauding this extraordinary feat.
“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,” the prime minister said on X.
“I join the nation in applauding this extraordinary feat. We will continue to pursue new frontiers of science for the benefit of humanity,” he said.
Union Minister for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh has tweeted, “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.”
“The Aditya L1 has reached the Lagrangian point. #ISRO has achieved it with great precision, and past experiences have surely helped them achieve this. This mission will provide input for understanding the basic phenomenon occurring on the Sun’s surface. It will help in predicting severe solar winds,” said former ISRO chairman G Madhavan Nair.
Space Scientist & Astronomer RC Kapoor says, “There is a solar exclusion zone which is about 5 degrees. So we placed our satellite in Halo orbit. This halo orbit is perpendicular to the line of sight towards the sun. So in moving in that orbit, our satellite is always looking at the sun. So 24 hours a day and all the days of the year, it is going to observe the Sun. For ISRO reaching L1 and placing a satellite in an orbit around it is remarkable. It’s for the first time. The second thing is, for all Indian institutions that have payloads on Aditya L1…”
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Published: 06 Jan 2024, 04:55 PM IST