Aditya-L1 solar mission a pioneering leap to study Sun, say experts
Track the progress of Aditya L1 mission here
In a significant leap for the country's space exploration endeavours, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) on Saturday successfully launched its maiden solar mission carrying seven payloads for a detailed study of the Sun.
Several experts lauded the successful launch of the mission and its importance for science and humanity.
«The mission is India's first foray into space-based studies of the Sun. If it reaches Lagrange point L1 in space, ISRO will join the ranks of NASA and the European Space Agency as the third space agency to station a solar observatory there,» Dibyendu Nandi, head of the Center of Excellence in Space Sciences India at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Kolkata, said.
Launch successful: India's maiden solar probe Aditya-L1 well on its way to the Sun
The spacecraft, after travelling about 1.5 million km from the Earth over 125 days, is expected to be placed in a Halo orbit around the Lagrangian point L1, which is considered the closest to the Sun.
Central to this mission's significance are the Lagrange points, celestial sweet spots, named after the famous French mathematician Joseph-Louis Lagrange, where gravitational forces between celestial bodies like the Sun and the Earth create a balance with the centripetal force on an artificial satellite.
Centripetal force is the force acting on an object in curvilinear motion directed towards the axis of rotation or the centre of curvature.
«Any satellite placed near Lagrange point L1 would move in harmony with the Earth's orbit around the Sun, providing uninterrupted observations of the Sun without being obscured by the Moon or the Earth,» Nandi told PTI.
