‘End of a long journey, anxious but happy…,’ ISRO chief S Somanath as Aditya-L1 enters Halo Orbit
The final moments before the entry of Aditya L1 into the Halo orbit, were filled with anxiety, however there was a surety about the mission’s success, said ISRO chief S Somanath after the successfull insertion of Aditya L1 near the Lagrange point on Saturday.
Aditya L1 mission live updates
On the successful completion of the journey of ISRO‘s satellite near the Sun, Somanath said, “So it is very satisfying for us because it is the end of a long journey. 926 days from lift-off to now, it has reached the final point. So reaching the final point is always, an anxious moment, but we were very sure about it. So it happened as predicted. We are very happy.”
India’s first solar mission craft Aditya L1 reached its destination, the L1 point. It is located around 1.5 million kilometres from Earth from where it will orbit the Sun and study our star’s wonders, uninterrupted by eclipses and occultations.
With this mission’s success, ISRO has added another feather on its cap after the historic success of Chandayaan-3. Prime Minister Narendra Modi made the announcement about ISRO’s latest feat on social media. In his X post, PM Modi congratulated the Indian space agency for its success.
“India creates yet another landmark. India’s first solar observatory Aditya-L1 reaches its destination. It is a testament to the relentless dedication of our scientists in realising among the most complex and intricate space missions.”
“I join the nation in applauding this extraordinary feat. We will continue to pursue new frontiers of science for the benefit of humanity,” he said in a post on micro-bloggin site ‘X.’
What is Lagrange point and Halo orbit?
The Lagrange point 1 (L1) of the Sun-Earth system is about one per cent of the total distance between the Earth and the Sun. The satellite will continue to revolve on the Halo orbit, which is a periodic, three-dimensional orbit at L1 involving Sun, Earth and a spacecraft.
A satellite in a halo orbit around the L1 point has the major advantage of continuously viewing the Sun without any occultations/ eclipses, ISRO officials said, adding, this will provide a greater advantage in observing solar activities and their effect on space weather in real time.
According to ISRO, the Halo-Orbit Insertion (HOI) of Aditya-L1 was accomplished at 4 pm approximately on Saturday. The final phase of the maneuver involved firing of control engines for a short duration, it said in a statement.
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Published: 06 Jan 2024, 06:10 PM IST