Another bright spot: India's solar probe ready to illuminate Sun's secrets

NT Bureau, Agencies

Bengaluru: In yet another success for its space programme, India's first solar mission craft Aditya L1 on Saturday reached its destination, the L1 point, about 1.5 million kilometres from Earth from where it will orbit the Sun and study our star's wonders, uninterrupted by eclipses and occultations.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi made the announcement about ISRO's latest feat, which comes months after the success of Chandrayaan-3 where the space agency achieved the challenging soft landing of the craft on the lunar surface.

The Lagrange point 1 (L1) of the Sun-Earth system is about one per cent of the total distance between the Earth and the Sun.

A satellite in a halo orbit around the L1 point has the major advantage of continuously viewing the Sun without any occultations/ eclipses, ISRO officials said, adding, this will provide a greater advantage in observing solar activities and their effect on space weather in real time.

"India creates yet another landmark. India's first solar observatory AdityaL1 reaches its destination. It is a testament to the relentless dedication of our scientists in realising among the most complex and intricate space missions."

"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 in a post on microbloggin site 'X.'

Union Minister Jitendra Singh, who among others holds the Space portfolio, said: "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," he wrote on 'X.'

According to ISRO, the Halo-Orbit Insertion (HOI) of Aditya-L1 was accomplished at 4 pm approximately on Saturday.

ISRO chairman S Somanath said Saturday's event was about only placing the Aditya-L1 in the precise Halo orbit.

"It was moving towards the Halo Orbit but we had to do a little bit of corrections to put it at the right place.

Major science objectives of the Aditya-L1 mission

• Study of the Solar upper atmospheric (chromosphere and corona) dynamics
• Study of chromospheric and coronal heating, physics of the partially ionized plasma, initiation of the coronal mass ejections, and flares
• Observe the in-situ particle and plasma environment, providing data for the study of particle dynamics from the Sun
• Physics of the solar corona and its heating mechanism
• Diagnostics of the coronal and coronal loops plasma: Temperaturae,velocity and density
• Development, dynamics and origin of coronal mass ejections (CMEs)
• Identify the sequence of processes that occur at multiple layers (chromosphere, base and extended corona) which eventually leads to solar eruptive events
• Magnetic field topology and magnetic field measurements in the solar corona
• Drivers for space weather (origin, composition and dynamics of solar wind)