Did You Know?
Aditya-L1 is India’s inaugural Sun-study mission
It was launched aboard PSLV-C57 rocket on September 2, 2023
After the successful soft landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the South Pole of the moon, the Indian Space Research Organization was once again in the limelight with the launch of Aditya-L1 on September 2, 2023, at 11:50 IST from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, India. The launch of L1 came within 10 days of Chanyaan-3’s landing on the moon. Aditya-L1 was launched aboard a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C57) rocket.
What is the mission about?
It is a spacecraft dedicated to the comprehensive study of the Sun. Aditya-L1 will be placed in a halo orbit around the Lagrange Point 1 (L1), which is a point in space between the Earth and the Sun where the gravitational forces of the two bodies are in balance. This orbit is about 1.5 million km from Earth.
Why is it called L1?
The ‘L1’ in Aditya-L1 stands for Lagrange point 1, which is the specific location in space where the spacecraft will be placed. Lagrange points are points in space where the gravitational forces of two large bodies, such as the Sun and Earth, balance each other. This allows a smaller object like a spacecraft, to effectively ‘hover’ in a stable position relative to the two larger bodies.
The Lagrange Point 1 (L1) is located about 1.5 million km from the Earth, directly between the Earth and the Sun. This is a good location for studying the Sun because it is relatively free from interference from the Earth’s atmosphere and magnetic field.
The spacecraft will be placed in a halo orbit around Lagrange point 1. This means that it will orbit the point in a figure-eight pattern. This type of orbit allows the spacecraft to maintain a constant view of the Sun, even as the Earth and Sun move around each other.
Why did India choose L1?
The Lagrange point 1 (L1) has been chosen for the Aditya-L1 mission because it is a good location for studying the Sun. It is located directly between the Earth and the Sun, so it is relatively free from interference from the Earth’s atmosphere and magnetic field. This allows the spacecraft to make continuous observations of the Sun without any obstructions.
In addition, L1 is a good location for studying solar storms. Solar storms are caused by disturbances in the Sun’s magnetic field, and these disturbances can be detected at L1 before they reach the Earth. This gives scientists time to warn people about potential space weather events.
