Aditya L-1 launch: India's solar mission lifts off, takes country closer to sun
India achieved the first lunar landing near the unexplored south pole of Moon, the Indian Space Research Organisation launched its Aditya-L1 mission successfully
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An hour after the launch, the vehicle placed the satellite precisely into its intended orbit. "India’s first solar observatory has begun its journey to the destination of Sun-Earth L1 point," ISRO announced.
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The 1,480 kg spacecraft has been carried by India’s workhorse Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) and took a trajectory for its placement in a highly elliptical orbit of 235 km x 19,500 km around the Earth.
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The orbit as well as the velocity of the spacecraft will be increased till it gets closer to the Sun in the designated orbit.
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The distance of 1.5 million km to the Lagrange Point, named L1, will be covered in nearly four months (125 days).
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The spacecraft will then be inserted in a halo orbit around the L1 point where it will stay put because of balancing gravitational forces, thereby reducing fuel consumption for the spacecraft
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Lagrange Points are named after Italian-French mathematician Joseph-Louis Lagrange.
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Aditya-L1 mission will carry out seven science experiments, and will collect data for the next five years.
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Indian scientists have so far observed the Sun through telescopes on the ground, while relying on the data from solar missions launched by the United States, Europe, the United Kingdom, and Japan.