What lies ahead for ISRO's Aditya-L1 mission? Unveiling spacecraft's journey to Lagrange Point 1

ISRO outlines that upon arrival, a gravitational ballet unfolds, binding Aditya-L1 into a halo orbit around L1- a balanced gravitational location approximately 1.5 million km from Earth.

Aditya-L1 mission spacecraft will maintain an orbit around L1, positioned about 1.5 million km from Earth, ensuring a constant, uninterrupted view of the Sun, just 1 percent of the Earth-Sun distance.

Strategically placed at L1, Aditya-L1 can observe the Sun continuously, gathering crucial data about its outer atmosphere.

Before reaching L1, Aditya-L1 executed a Trans-Lagrangian1 insertion manoeuvre, initiating its 110-day trajectory to the L1 Lagrange point.

Once successfully positioned at L1, Aditya-L1 spacecraft will be set for ISRO's five-year mission, during which it will collect essential data not only for India but for the global scientific community.

The primary Aditya-L1 mission involves studying the outer atmosphere of the Sun, providing valuable insights into solar dynamics without physically approaching or landing on the Sun.

ISRO chief Somanath emphasises that the data collected by Aditya-L1 will contribute significantly to understanding how the Sun's dynamics impact life on Earth, making it a mission with global implications.

The Aditya-L1 will spend its entire mission orbiting around L1 in an irregularly shaped orbit, perpendicular to the line joining Earth and the Sun, enabling diverse observations.