ISRO Chief S. Somanath claims that Aditya L1 will reach Lagrange point in a week.

Paripurna Datta December 29, 2023

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ISRO Chief S. Somanath claims that Aditya L1 will reach Lagrange point in a week.

In a significant development, the Aditya L1 solar mission by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is poised to reach the Lagrange Point 1 (L1) of the Sun-Earth system on January 6. This strategic position will enable the spacecraft to observe the sun continuously without any eclipses, as announced by ISRO Chief S. Somanath on Thursday.

Launched in September of this year, the Aditya L1 mission is approaching a crucial phase in its journey. “Aditya L1 is almost there now. It will reach the Lagrange point on January 6 at 4 pm. We will have a very controlled burn of the engine to ensure it enters an orbit known as the halo orbit,” explained Somanath during Techfest 2023, the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay’s annual science and technology event.

The Lagrange point is a gravitational equilibrium region between the Earth and the Sun, where the gravitational forces effectively neutralize. Somanath clarified that complete neutralization is challenging due to the presence of other celestial bodies such as the Moon, Mars, and Venus.

According to the ISRO Chief, all six payloads of the Aditya L1 mission have undergone testing and are “working beautifully.” Post-insertion into the designated orbit, the satellite will continuously observe the Sun, providing valuable data on the solar corona, mass ejections, and their impact on daily space weather.

In an update on Chandrayaan-3, India’s lunar mission, Somanath mentioned that after 14 days of collecting data, the Pragyan rover is currently “sleeping” on the lunar surface. Despite initial expectations for it to wake up, Somanath explained that certain systems that performed well in the laboratory may face challenges on the lunar surface due to factors like radiation.

The successful progress of the Aditya L1 mission marks a significant stride for ISRO in the field of solar exploration and promises to enhance our understanding of the Sun and its impact on space weather.