India’s first solar mission, Aditya-L1, is scheduled to arrive at the Lagrangian point (L1), 1.5 million kilometres from Earth) on January 6, according to S. Somanath, chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
The ISRO launched the mission on September 2 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota. It is the first space-based observatory in India to study the sun from a halo orbit (L1).
“On January 6, Aditya-L1 will reach the L1 milestone. That’s what was expected to happen. “The exact moment will be disclosed when appropriate,” Mr. Somanath told reporters here on Friday during the Bharatiya Vigyan Sammelan, which was organized by the science-promoting non-profit Vijnana Bharati.
“To stop it from moving forward, we must restart the engine when it reaches the L1 position. It’s going to get to that point,” he added, “and then it will revolve around it and become caught at L1.
Aditya-L1 will assist in measuring different solar phenomena over the next five years when it arrives at its location.
“After it is properly positioned on the L1 point, it will stay there for the next five years, collecting all the vital data—not only for India but for the whole world. The chairman of ISRO said that using this data will make understanding the dynamics of the sun and how it affects our lives easier.
In his presentation to the assembly, he stressed the importance of India’s future technical prowess. According to Mr. Somanath, ISRO had planned to construct the “Bharatiya space station” in India following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s directives during the “Amrit Kaal.”
New players are starting to appear in the space industry. We will help, inspire, and develop the economy around the next generation,” he said, emphasizing that India should concentrate on the areas in which it can lead rather than trying to lead everything.
