PSLV-C57 in its 59th flight of PSLV and 25th mission using PSLV-XL configuration successfully placed the Aditya-L1 the first space-based observatory-class spacecraft into a highly eccentric Earth bound precise orbit. The orbit insertion involved complex two burn sequence of the PSLV Upper stage. ISRO confirmed the successful deployment of spacecraft's Solar Panels.

Initially, the spacecraft will be placed in a Low Earth Orbit. Subsequently, the orbit will be made more elliptical and later the spacecraft will be launched towards the Lagrange point (L1) by using onboard propulsion. The spacecraft will perform orbital manoeuvres by using its LAM to reach Sun-Earth Lagrange point L1 (1.5 million kilometers from Earth, in a Halo orbit or Lissajous orbit).

As the spacecraft travels towards L1, it will exit the Earths’ gravitational Sphere of Influence (SOI). After exit from SOI, the cruise phase will start and subsequently the spacecraft will be injected into a large halo orbit around L1. The total travel time from launch to L1 would take about four months for Aditya-L1.

About ADITYA-L1


Aditya-L1 is the first space based Indian mission to study the Sun. The spacecraft shall be placed in a halo orbit around the Lagrange point 1 (L1) of the Sun-Earth system, which is about 1.5 million km from the Earth. A satellite placed in the halo orbit around the L1 point has the major advantage of continuously viewing the Sun without any occultation/eclipses.

This will provide a greater advantage of observing the solar activities and its effect on space weather in real time. The spacecraft carries seven payloads to observe the photosphere, chromosphere and the outermost layers of the Sun (the Corona) using electromagnetic and particle and magnetic field detectors. Using the special vantage point L1, four payloads directly view the Sun and the remaining three payloads carry out in-situ studies of particles and fields at the Lagrange point L1, thus providing important scientific studies of the propagatory effect of solar dynamics in the interplanetary medium

The suits of Aditya-L1 payloads are expected to provide most crucial information to understand the problem of coronal heating, coronal mass ejection, pre-flare and flare activities and their characteristics, dynamics of space weather, propagation of particle and fields etc.

Science Objectives:

The major science objectives of Aditya-L1 mission are:

Study of Solar upper atmospheric (chromosphere and corona) dynamics
Study of chromospheric and coronal heating, physics of the partially ionized plasma, initiation of the coronal mass ejections, and flares
Observe the in-situ particle and plasma environment providing data for the study of particle dynamics from the Sun
Physics of solar corona and its heating mechanism
Diagnostics of the coronal and coronal loops plasma: Temperature, velocity and density
Development, dynamics and origin of CMEs
Identify the sequence of processes that occur at multiple layers (chromosphere, base and extended corona) which eventually leads to solar eruptive events
Magnetic field topology and magnetic field measurements in the solar corona
Drivers for space weather (origin, composition and dynamics of solar wind