Aditya L1 Launch: Data will explain celestial phenomena, aid climate change studies, says ex-ISRO chairman
Aditya-L1 took off at 11:50 am on Saturday from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC-SHAR) in Andhra Pradesh's Sriharikota, former Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman G Madhavan Nair said data from country's first solar mission, will help explain various celestial phenomena taking place in the atmosphere and aid climate change studies.
Track the progress of Aditya L1 mission here.
«This mission is very important. Aditya L-1 will be placed around Lagrangian Point 1, where the gravitational force of Earth and the Sun is virtually nullified, and with minimum fuel, we can park the spacecraft there.
It will also enable 24/7 observation of the Sun. Seven payloads or instruments have been included on board the spacecraft,» Nair said ahead of the launch at 11.50 am on Saturday.
The spacecraft will be placed in a halo orbit around the Lagrange point 1 (L1) of the Sun-Earth system, allowing continuous viewing of the sun without any eclipses or obstructions.
L1 is 1.5 million km away from the Earth in the direction of the sun.
It is expected to cover the distance in four months' time.
What does the spacecraft carry?
It will carry seven different payloads, which will conduct a detailed study of the Sun. Four of these payloads will observe the light from the Sun while the other three will measure in-situ parameters of the plasma and magnetic fields.
Aditya-L1 will carry a Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC), which is estimated to be the largest and most technologically complex payload on the craft.
