India’s solar observation satellite ‘Aditya-L1’, launched last September, has arrived at its target location ‘Lagrange-1’. Aditya L1 will continue solar observation activities for the next five years. / Provided by Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO)
India’s solar observation satellite ‘Aditya-L1’ succeeded in arriving at its target location 1.5 million km away from Earth. India’s status as a space powerhouse is increasing as it became the first country in the world to land on the South Pole of the Moon last year and also succeeded in putting a solar observation satellite into orbit.
The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) announced on the 6th (local time) that Aditya-L1 reached the ‘Lagrange-1 (L1)’ point between the sun and the Earth after a four-month flight. Aditya-L1, launched last September, is a satellite to study solar activities such as the corona, the upper atmosphere of the sun, and the solar wind. Prime Minister Modi said on social media, “India has achieved another landmark,” and “We will continue to expand new horizons in science for the benefit of humanity.” Bloomberg reported, “India’s solar observation mission has reached its destination, achieving another space feat after successfully landing near the lunar south pole last year.”
The L1 point where Aditya-L1, named after the Hindu sun god, arrived is where the gravitational forces of the sun and Earth are balanced. Since it can maintain a stable orbit with minimal fuel, it has recently emerged as an important point in space observation. Aditya-L1 will always look at the sun for the next five years and will take 1,440 pictures of the sun every day and transmit them to Earth.
India succeeded in putting Aditya-L1 into orbit, becoming the second country to send a satellite to the L1 point. Currently, the observation satellite ‘SOHO’, launched jointly by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the European Space Agency (ESA), is active in L1. India plans to send an astronaut into Earth orbit in 2025 and then send another probe to the moon.
