India’s first solar mission, Aditya-L1, has successfully completed its first halo orbit around the Sun-Earth L1 point. This milestone was announced by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Tuesday.

Aditya-L1 was launched on September 2, 2023, and reached its target orbit on January 6, 2024. Positioned at a stable point in space called Lagrange point L1, about 1.5 million kilometers from Earth, the spacecraft can continuously observe the Sun without any interruptions.

The spacecraft’s journey around the L1 point takes about 178 days to complete one orbit. During this time, Aditya-L1 faces various forces that can push it off course. To stay on track, the spacecraft performs periodic adjustments. ISRO reported that Aditya-L1 made two such adjustments on February 22 and June 7. The latest maneuver, done on Tuesday, helped the spacecraft transition smoothly into its second halo orbit.

Navigating around the L1 point is complex, requiring precise calculations to understand and counteract the forces acting on the spacecraft. ISRO’s advanced flight dynamics software, developed specifically for Aditya-L1, plays a crucial role in this process. The recent successful adjustment validated this software.

Aditya-L1’s mission is to study solar activity and its effects on Earth’s climate and space weather. From its position at the L1 point, the spacecraft can continuously observe solar events like coronal mass ejections, solar flares, and solar wind. This data is essential for predicting space weather, which can impact satellite operations, communications, and power grids on Earth.

ISRO’s successful handling of the Aditya-L1 mission showcases its growing expertise in space exploration. This mission is a significant achievement for India, demonstrating its ability to conduct complex space missions and contribute valuable scientific knowledge globally.

Re-reported from the article originally published in FIRSTPOST.