India’s Solar Mission: Aditya-L1 successfully undergoes fourth Earth-bound maneuvre

New Delhi: According to the ISRO, on September 15 the Aditya-L1 spacecraft; part of India’s solar research programme, successfully performed its fourth Earth-bound maneuvre.

According to the Indian Space Agency, the maneuvre was deemed essential since it was designed to put the spacecraft into a halo orbit around the Lagrange Point 1 (L1) in the Sun-Earth system. The revised orbit’s dimensions are 256 km x 121973 km.

ISRO has stated that the next maneuvre, known as Trans-Lagragean Point 1 Insertion (TL1I), will take place at around 2 a.m. on September 19.

ISRO tweeted from the organization’s official account, saying, “Aditya-L1 Mission:

The fourth Earth-bound maneuvre (EBN#4) is performed successfully.

ISRO’s ground stations at Mauritius, Bengaluru, SDSC-SHAR and Port Blair tracked the satellite during this operation, while a transportable terminal currently stationed in the Fiji islands for Aditya-L1  will support post-burn operations.

The new orbit attained is 256 km x 121973  km.

The next maneuvre Trans-Lagragean Point 1 Insertion (TL1I) — a send-off from the Earth — is scheduled for September 19, 2023, around 02:00 Hrs. IST”

Aditya-L1 Mission:
The fourth Earth-bound maneuvre (EBN#4) is performed successfully.

ISRO’s ground stations at Mauritius, Bengaluru, SDSC-SHAR and Port Blair tracked the satellite during this operation, while a transportable terminal currently stationed in the Fiji islands for… pic.twitter.com/cPfsF5GIk5

— ISRO (@isro) September 14, 2023

To reach its target, the Sun-Earth Lagrange Point 1, the solar mission, which launched on September 2, will perform five orbit-raising maneuvres in total.

The first two Earth-bound maneuvres were completed on September 3 and 5, and the third on September 10.

These maneuvres are being carried out throughout the spacecraft’s 16-day orbit of the Earth, during which it will obtain the velocity it needs to go on to L1.

When Aditya L1 reaches the L1 point, another maneuvre locks it into an orbit that keeps it midway between the Earth and the Sun.

About Aditya-L1

India’s first spacecraft, Aditya-L1, will circle the first Sun-Earth Lagrangian point (L1), which is around 1.5 million kilometres from Earth, to conduct solar research.

ISRO and national research labs like the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) in Bengaluru and the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA) in Pune created all seven of the scientific payloads onboard Aditya-L1.

The electromagnetic particle and magnetic field detectors aboard the payloads will be used to study the photosphere, chromosphere, and solar corona.

It is hoped that the project will provide new information on the mechanics of the solar atmosphere and the impact of solar magnetic storms on Earth.