Aditya-L1: India’s first solar mission to reach destination, 1.5 million km from Earth, says ISRO

ISRO Chairman S Somanath has announced that Aditya-L1 will arrive at the Lagrangian point L1 on January 6. This point is 1.5 million km away from Earth. Launched from Sriharikota on September 2, India's first solar mission will perform an important manoeuvre upon reaching L1. This manoeuvre will ensure its stable orbit, allowing for continuous and in-depth study of the Sun.

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"Once it is successfully placed on L1 point, it will be there for the next five years, gathering all the data which are very important not for India alone but for the entire world. The data will be very useful to understand the dynamics of the Sun and how it affects our life," PTI quoted the ISRO chief as saying.

It was earlier reported that the European Space Agency (ESA) would play a vital role in supporting the ISRO in the solar mission. They will provide deep space communication services and assist ISRO in testing essential new flight dynamics software.

Vision for India's future in space

In his address, Somanath highlighted India's ambitions in space technology. He emphasized the importance of India becoming a technologically advanced nation. He mentioned the plan to build an Indian space station, 'Bharatiya Space Station' in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision.

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Somanath said that, even though India might not be the best in every field, it should concentrate on areas where it could excel. This strategy is key for India's space missions and aims to make India an important part of the global space community.

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"In the space sector, we are seeing an emergence of new actors. We are going to support, encourage and build the economy around the new generation," he said.

(With PTI inputs)