The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), after its successful lunar landing Chandrayaan-3, is preparing up for another prestigious mission. Scheduled for Saturday at 11:50 am from Sriharikota’s second launch pad, the Aditya-L1 mission aims to study the Sun.
The spacecraft, weighing 1,480 kg, will hitch a ride on India’s trusted Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). It will be placed in a highly elliptical orbit around Earth, measuring 235 km x 19,500 km. The XL-configured PSLV, equipped with six solid fuel-based boosters, will take just over an hour to complete this task.
Once in orbit, the spacecraft’s velocity will be increased, propelling it toward the Sun. Over the course of nearly four months (125 days), it will cover the 1.5 million km distance to reach the L1 point, where it will be inserted into a halo orbit. For the next five years, the seven scientific experiments on board will collect invaluable data.
However, it’s important to note that Aditya-L1 will not land on or approach the Sun any closer. It will study the outer atmosphere of the Sun, which is a vast sphere of gas.
A Tiny Engine with a Big Role
An essential component of ISRO’s Aditya-L1 mission is a small yet powerful engine known as the ‘Liquid Apogee Motor’ or LAM. This engine plays a critical role in placing the Aditya spacecraft in a halo orbit at Lagrangian point L1.
How to Watch the Aditya-L1 Launch?
ISRO will live stream the Aditya-L1 launch on its official website at isro.gov.in. Viewers can also catch the live stream on ISRO’s Facebook page and YouTube channel.
ISRO has stated that positioning Aditya-L1 at the L1 Lagrange point offers a consistent, uninterrupted view of the Sun. This unique vantage point enables the satellite to observe solar radiation and magnetic storms unaffected by Earth’s magnetic field and atmosphere. Furthermore, the gravitational stability at the L1 point reduces the necessity for frequent orbital adjustments.