India’s Aditya-L1 Solar Mission Achieves Second Earth-bound Manoeuvre Successfully

India’s inaugural solar mission, Aditya-L1, has achieved a significant milestone by completing its second earth-bound manoeuvre successfully, according to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). This manoeuvre involved altering the satellite’s orbit through controlled propulsion, allowing it to gradually attain the required trajectory for its journey to Lagrangian Point 1 (L1), located 1.5 million km from Earth in the direction of the sun. Aditya-L1 will conduct crucial research on the Sun’s outer atmosphere, solar wind, and space weather drivers, benefiting from its unique vantage point that avoids eclipses and enables continuous solar observation. This success marks a significant step in India’s pursuit of solar science.

By studying the Sun’s outer atmosphere, solar wind dynamics, and space weather patterns, this mission contributes invaluable data that not only enhances our understanding of fundamental astrophysical processes but also aids in predicting and mitigating space weather-related impacts on Earth. This endeavor represents a collaborative stride towards unraveling the mysteries of our star and bolstering our capabilities to safeguard space infrastructure and human activities in space.

Source: Pranav Bhavsar, Karishma. Mint. “ISRO’s Aditya L1 successfully performs 2nd earth-bound manoeuvre; third to take place on THIS date”. https://www.livemint.com/science/news/aditya-l1-successfully-performs-2nd-earth-bound-manoeuvre-isro-11693874391792.html. 05/09/23. [Date accessed: 06/09/23]