We’re super excited because India’s first solar mission ‘Aditya L-1’ is currently on its way to Lagrange Point 1 in space, getting closer to its new residence.
Aditya-L1 will travel in a ‘Halo orbit’ around the Sun-Earth L1 point which is about 15 lakh kilometers away from Earth. Its goal is to give us detailed information about the Sun’s photosphere, chromosphere, and corona.
When the spacecraft reaches the L-1 point, it won’t be alone. It will have some company from other telescopes and missions already there. Aditya L1 is anticipated to arrive at its designated new home on January 6, 2024.
There are several other spacecraft that have been to the Sun-Earth L1 point before. These include the International Sun-Earth Explorer (ISEE-3), the Genesis mission, ESA’s LISA Pathfinder, China’s Chang’e 5 lunar orbiter, and NASA’s Gravity Recovery and Interior Recovery (GRAIL) mission.
Right now, NASA’s Wind mission is there, observing the solar wind before it gets to Earth’s magnetosphere from L1. Additionally, there’s the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory, the Advanced Composition Explorer and the Deep Space Climate Observatory. These missions keep an eye on space weather, climate and deep space Earth observations.
Lagrange points are special spots in space where the gravitational forces of two big objects, like the Sun and Earth perfectly balance the force pulling a smaller object towards them. This is great for spacecraft because it means they don’t need much fuel to adjust their orbits.
Out of the five Lagrange points, L1 is extra important. It sits right between the two main objects in this case, the Sun and Earth. This spot lets us keep a constant eye on these two and gives us clear views of other things in space without any obstacles.