Aditya L1 Completes First Halo Orbit Around Sun-Earth Lagrange Point 1

Aditya L1 Completes First Halo Orbit Around Sun-Earth

India’s solar observatory spacecraft, Aditya-L1, has successfully completed its inaugural halo orbit around the Sun-Earth Lagrange Point 1 (L1), marking a significant milestone as confirmed by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) officials.

Originally launched into low Earth orbit (LEO) on September 2 last year via the Indian Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle – XL (PSLV-XL) variant, Aditya-L1 was designed to navigate the unique gravitational balance at the Sun-Earth L1 point, where the gravitational forces of the Sun and Earth are in equilibrium, enabling stable positioning without drifting towards either celestial body.

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Achieving its targeted halo orbit insertion on January 6 this year, the spacecraft completed its first revolution around the L1 point in 178 days, as reported by ISRO.

Throughout its journey in the halo orbit, Aditya-L1 encountered various uneasiness that necessitated meticulous orbit maintenance. Notably, the spacecraft underwent crucial station-keeping maneuvers on February 22 and June 7 to preserve its designated path.

Recently, on Tuesday, Aditya-L1 executed its third station-keeping maneuver, advancing into its subsequent halo orbit trajectory around L1, according to ISRO statements.

“This journey of Aditya L1 around Sun-Earth L1 Lagrangian point involves modeling of complex dynamics. The understanding of various perturbing forces acting on the spacecraft helped in determining the trajectory accurately and planning precise orbit maneuvers,” noted ISRO.

The successful execution of the third maneuver also underscores the efficacy of URSC-ISRO’s advanced flight dynamics software, tailored specifically for the Aditya-L1 mission. The successful execution of the third maneuver the efficacy

Dedicate to study the Sun, Aditya-L1 is with seven payloads aiming at observing the Sun’s photosphere, chromosphere, and outermost layer, the corona. These payloads encompass electromagnetic, particle, and magnetic field detectors, facilitating comprehensive solar analysis.

Richa Kaushik