BENGALURU: In its maiden solar mission, ISRO successfully placed the Aditya-L1 spacecraft into its final orbit on Saturday at 4 pm.
The insertion of Aditya-L1 in the halo orbit presented a critical mission phase, which demanded precise navigation and control. A successful insertion further involved constant monitoring along with the adjustment of the spacecraft’s speed and position by using onboard thrusters.
“The success of this insertion not only signifies ISRO’s capabilities in such complex orbital manoeuvres but also gives confidence to handle future interplanetary missions,” ISRO said.
The satellite placed in the orbit of the Sun-Earth system, which is about 1.5 million km from Earth, has covered only 1 per cent of the distance to the Sun. It will be undertaking several studies on the impact of the Sun’s radiation, solar flares, solar storms and other particles on the Earth through payloads.
CONTINUOUS VIEWING
From the L1 point, Aditya has the advantage of continuously viewing the Sun without any occultation or eclipses, ISRO scientists said. It will help observe solar activities and their effects in real-time.