India’s Aditya-L1 solar mission reaches sun’s orbit

The Indian Space Agency’s Aditya-L1, has successfully arrived at its designated location — the sun’s orbit — within the expected four-month timeframe, the country’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Saturday 

The Indian Space Research Organisation’s pioneering solar mission, was launched on September 2, last year with the spacecraft now strategically positioned itself at Lagrange Point 1, poised to embark on an extensive examination of the sun. 

The mission’s primary focus will be on studying the solar corona and its impact on space weather, marking a crucial milestone in India’s space exploration journey. 

“India creates yet another landmark. It is a testament to the relentless dedication of our scientists in realising among the most complex and intricate space missions,” Modi said in a post on social media platform X.

Over the course of four months, the satellite traversed around 1.5 million kilometers (930,000 miles), representing only a small fraction of the vast Earth-sun distance of 150 million kilometers.

Situated at the Lagrange Point, the satellite capitalizes on gravitational forces, enabling it to maintain a relatively stable position and minimizing the spacecraft’s fuel consumption.

Aditya-L1, armed with seven payloads, is set to engage in remote sensing of the sun and on-site observations for an anticipated duration of five years.