The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has announced a milestone in the progress of the Aditya L1 spacecraft. According to ISRO, the spacecraft has successfully travelled over 920,000 kilometres away from Earth, effectively moving beyond Earth’s influence. Aditya L1 is now on its way towards the Sun-Earth Lagrange Point 1 (L1).
This achievement is an accomplishment for ISRO as it marks the time they have sent a spacecraft beyond Earth’s gravitational pull following their successful Mars Orbiter Mission (Mangalyaan).
The Sun-Earth Lagrange Point 1, also known as L1, is a position in space where the gravitational forces of both Earth and the Sun balance out, allowing a smaller object to stay stable relative to both bodies. This strategic location at L1 provides a vantage point for observations of the Sun and its activities.
Aditya L1, India’s solar observation mission, is specifically designed to study the layer of the Sun called the corona. The main goal is to improve our understanding of events, like solar flares and coronal mass ejections, which can significantly affect space weather and Earth’s technology infrastructure.
ISRO’s success with Aditya L1 demonstrates the organization’s increasing proficiency in exploring planets and its ongoing dedication to expanding our knowledge of the universe.