In a crucial step towards its mission, ISRO is set to execute the final manoeuvre on Saturday to position the Aditya-L1 spacecraft, India’s premier space-based solar observatory, into its designated orbit around 1.5 million kilometres away from Earth.
As per ISRO officials, the spacecraft will be strategically placed in a halo orbit encircling Lagrange point 1 (L1) within the Sun-Earth system, maintaining a distance of approximately 1.5 million km from our planet. Notably, the L1 point constitutes only one percent of the overall distance separating Earth and the Sun.
The unique advantage of a satellite positioned in a halo orbit around the L1 point is its continuous, uninterrupted view of the Sun, devoid of any occultations or eclipses. This positioning holds paramount significance, enabling the observatory to diligently monitor solar activities and their real-time impact on space weather.
“This manoeuvre, scheduled for around 4 pm on Saturday, will securely tether Aditya-L1 to a halo orbit around L1. Without this adjustment, there exists a potential risk of the spacecraft veering off its trajectory, possibly towards the Sun,” clarified an ISRO official.