• Source:JND
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Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) maiden solar mission, Aditya-L1 successfully entered the halo orbit around Lagrange Point 1 (L1) on Saturday, marking another significant achievement for the country. 

“Halo-Orbit Insertion (HOI) of its solar observatory spacecraft, Aditya L-1 was accomplished at around 4 pm on January 6, 2024. The final phase of the manoeuvre involved the firing of control engines for a short duration. The success of this insertion not only signifies ISRO's capabilities in such complex orbital manoeuvres, but it gives confidence to handle future interplanetary missions,” ISRO said in a statement. 

After being injected into the final orbit, the spacecraft is poised to begin a detailed investigation of the Sun. However, a series of crucial steps must be followed before it can start sending valuable solar observations.

ALSO READ: 'Moon Walk To Sun Dance': India's Sun Mission Aditya-L1 Enters Final Orbit; 'Yet Another Landmark,' Says PM Modi

Meanwhile, ISRO chief S Somanath said that the solar mission was not just for India but for the entire world. “The solar mission, Aditya-L1 is for the whole of the world, not for India alone, for all of us to understand and make use of its scientific importance," Somanath told news agency ANI. 

The Aditya L-1 spacecraft was launched on September 2 last year from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre and had successfully undergone various earthbound manoeuvres and Trans-Lagrangian Point 1 Insertion (TL1I) manoeuvres. 

What’s Next For Aditya L-1 Mission?

The Aditya L1 spacecraft will now start to move from the cruise phase to the orbit phase, where it will observe the Sun and discover various phenomena emanating from it. 

"The Halo Orbit Insertion has been done and it is a very important moment in the journey of Aditya L1…Now during its transition, we will be able to do all the science operations. We look forward to the operations of the instrument,” the director of the Indian Institute of Astrophysics Annapurni Subramaniam told the news agency PTI.

The spacecraft is expected to remain for the next five years. The Aditya-L1 satellite, which is located 1.5 million kilometres from Earth, will reportedly carry out a crucial manoeuvre upon reaching L1.

Speaking on the halo orbit, ISRO chief Somanath told ANI, "The halo orbit is an orbit which moves around L1 point with a size of 6 lakh kilometre in one dimension and one lakh kilometre in another dimension. So it is like an egg. We had to place it in the new orbit. It has to be precisely put."

PM Modi Congratulates ISRO: 

After the historic success of India’s solar mission, Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated ISRO and said that the successful Aditya L1 mission is a testament to their “relentless dedication”.

“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 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,” PM Modi wrote on X. 

All About Aditya- L1 Mission:

Aditya L1mission is the first space-based observatory class Indian solar mission to study the Sun. The mission was launched in September last year by using the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV)-C57 from Sriharikota launchpad.

The Aditya-L1 propulsion module will reportedly travel around 5 million kilometres in 125 days to reach the Halo orbit around the Lagrangian Point L 1, considered closest to the Sun. It will be positioned in a halo orbit around the 1.5 million km-distance Lagrangian Point 1 (L1), facing the Sun.