Aditya-L1: ISRO's solar mission set to launch today from Sriharikota after Chandrayaan-3 success. Key highlights

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Aditya-L1 mission: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is set to launch the solar mission, Aditya-L1 today following successful Chandrayaan-3 lunar mission. Chandrayaan-3's Vikram lander soft landed on the south pole of the Moon less than two weeks ago. Here are the key points for the solar mission: The Aditya-L1 mission is scheduled for liftoff at 11:50 am on September 2, 2023, from the second launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.

Aditya-L1, which means "Sun" in Sanskrit, aims to explore the Sun extensively. It will conduct remote observations of the solar corona and in-situ observations of the solar wind at the Sun-Earth Lagrangian point (L1), approximately 1.5 million kilometres from Earth. There are five Lagrangian points between the Sun and the Earth, According to the ISRO.

L1point in the Halo orbit is a unique position in space where the gravitational forces of the Earth and the Sun are in equilibrium. This location offers uninterrupted views of the Sun without eclipses, making it ideal for solar research. The mission is expected to take 125 days to reach its intended orbit around L1 according to ISRO chairman S Somanath.

It will initially remain in Earth-bound orbits for 16 days, undergoing five manoeuvres to gain the necessary velocity using onboard propulsion. Upon reaching L1, Aditya-L1 will be manoeuvred into an irregularly shaped orbit, roughly perpendicular to the line joining the Earth and the Sun, where it will spend its mission life. Studying the Sun in detail will provide valuable insights into stars in the Milky Way and other galaxies said ISRO.