Aditya-L1: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) reported a successful achievement on Tuesday, announcing that Aditya-L1, India's maiden solar mission, had effectively executed its second Earth-bound manoeuvre.
ISRO's Telemetry, Tracking, and Command Network (ISTRAC) orchestrated this operation, marking a significant step forward.
Elaborating on the accomplishment, ISRO stated, "The second Earth-bound manoeuvre (EBN#2) has been completed from ISTRAC, Bengaluru.
ISRO's Mauritius, Bengaluru, and Port Blair ground stations closely tracked the satellite throughout this operation. The satellite has attained a new orbit measuring 282 kilometres x 40,225 km."
The subsequent manoeuvre is slated for September 10, approximately at 2:30 am, as confirmed by ISRO. Aditya-L1's initial Earth-bound manoeuvre was effectively executed on September 3, propelling the mission forward.
The spacecraft will undergo two additional earth-bound orbital manoeuvres before its placement in the transfer orbit towards the Lagrange point L1 of the Sun-Earth system – positioned approximately 1.5 million km from Earth.
This strategic positioning will provide an uninterrupted vantage point for solar observation due to its continuous view of the Sun. The estimated timeline for Aditya-L1 to reach its intended orbit at the L1 point is around 127 days.
Launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota on September 2, Aditya-L1, weighing 1,472 kg, embarked on its journey into space aboard the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) in 'XL' configuration, ISRO's steadfast and adaptable workhorse rocket.
Aditya-L1's primary objective is to delve into the Sun's upper atmospheric layers, specifically focusing on the chromosphere and corona.
The mission's scope extends to analyzing coronal mass ejections (CMEs) – substantial expulsions of plasma and magnetic fields from the Sun's corona – and studying the corona's magnetic field, a pivotal factor influencing space weather.
The instrumentation aboard Aditya-L1 encompasses seven payloads, including the Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VLEC) designed for examining the solar corona, the Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT) geared towards capturing UV images of the solar photosphere and chromosphere, and the Solar Low Energy X-ray Spectrometer (SoLEXS) and High Energy L1 Orbiting X-ray Spectrometer (HEL1OS) tailored for analyzing X-ray flares.
