Aditya L1: ISRO successfully launches India’s maiden solar mission from Sriharikota

Aditya L1: ISRO's Aditya L1 was successfully launched from Satish Dhawan Space Centre today i.e. on 2 September, 2023. Aditya-L1, weighing about 1,4807.7 kg, is the first space-based observatory class to study the Sun and is fired using ISRO's reliable Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). 

In an update, ISRO said that the Aditya-L1 spacecraft onboard a PSLV rocket successfully got separated and would be proceeding on its journey towards the Sun on a 125-day voyage. On the successful launch of Aditya L-1, ISRO Chairman S Somanath said, “The Aditya L1 spacecraft has been injected in an elliptical orbit...which is intended very precisely by the PSLV. I want to congratulate the PSLV for such a different mission approach today to put Aditya L1 in the right orbit.”

Aditya L1 Launch Live Updates

The Sun is a giant sphere of gas and Aditya-L1 would study its outer atmosphere. Aditya-L1 will neither land on the Sun nor approach it any closer, ISRO said.

Speaking on the successful launch of Aditya L-1, Project Director of Aditya L-1, Nigar Shaji said it is like a dream come true and also thanked the entire team for their support and guidance in making this mission possible. She said, “This is like a dream come true. I am extremely happy that Aditya L-1 has been injected by PSLV. Aditya L-1 has started its 125 days of long journey. Once Aditya L-1 is commissioned, it will be an asset to the country and the global scientific fraternity. I want to thank the entire team for their support and guidance in making this mission possible...”

Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Dr Jitendra Singh on the successful launch of the Aditya L1 mission says, "While the whole world watched this with bated breath, It is indeed a sunshine moment for India. Indian scientists had been working, toiling day and night for years and years together, but now comes the moment of indication, the moment of redeeming the pledge to the nation. The successful launch of Aditya L1 is also a testimony to the whole-of-science and whole-of-nation approach that we have sought to adopt in our work culture."

The country's maiden solar mission Aditya-L1 is carrying seven different payloads to have a detailed study of the sun, four of which will observe the light from the sun and the other three will measure in-situ parameters of the plasma and magnetic fields.

According to the agency, the Aditya-L1 mission is expected to reach the observation point in n 126 days i.e. four months. However, there is no clear date or time announced by ISRO till now.

It will be placed in a halo orbit around Lagrangian Point 1 (or L1), which is 1.5 million km away from the Earth in the direction of the sun.

Also Read: Aditya L1 FAQ: All your questions about India's maiden solar mission answered

What are the main objectives of India's Solar Mission

-Study of Solar upper atmospheric (chromosphere and corona) dynamics.

-Study of chromospheric and coronal heating, physics of the partially ionized plasma, initiation of the coronal mass ejections, and flares

-Observe the in-situ particle and plasma environment providing data for the study of particle dynamics from the Sun.

-Physics of solar corona and its heating mechanism.

-Diagnostics of the coronal and coronal loops plasma: Temperature, velocity and density.

-Development, dynamics and origin of CMEs.

-Identify the sequence of processes that occur at multiple layers (chromosphere, base and extended corona) which eventually leads to solar eruptive events.

-Magnetic field topology and magnetic field measurements in the solar corona .

-Drivers for space weather (origin, composition and dynamics of solar wind

(With inputs from agencies)