Aditya-L1 Launch Highlights: PSLV-C57 accomplishes mission! Satellite sucessfully injected in intended orbit

In anticipation of the launch of India's inaugural solar mission, Aditya-L1, a Surya Namaskar ritual was conducted at Doon Yoga Peeth to invoke blessings for its successful execution, as per an ANI report. The Surya Namaskar ceremony took place under the guidance of the spiritual guru, Acharya Bipin Joshi. Additionally, special prayers were offered at Doon Yoga Peeth, seeking divine intervention for the prosperous launch of the Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) pioneering solar exploration mission. Aditya-L1 is scheduled for liftoff at 11:50 AM today from the launchpad situated at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.

ISRO is gearing up to launch its Aditya L1 solar mission from the Sriharikota spaceport in Andhra Pradesh. The live broadcast of the Aditya-L1 solar mission will commence at 11:50 AM (IST) today. You can catch all the live action on ISRO's official website, YouTube channel, Facebook, and DD National TV starting from 11:50 AM (IST) on September 12. For the latest updates on India's solar mission, you can also visit financialexpress.com.

As ISRO prepares to launch its inaugural spacecraft dedicated to solar research, Aditya-L1, today, the renowned Indian poet-diplomat Abhay K has crafted a Sun Anthem to commemorate this historic occasion. It goes as follows:

“Home star, you're never too far. Lighting up our lives wherever we are. On Moon or Mars, near or far, home star, you're never too far. Keeping us all from drifting apart in the deep dark galactic bar. Igniting the skies each day in the Orion spur of the Milky Way.” “Streaming light across the dark space. Primeval god, Universe's glowing face. Home star, you're never too far. Lighting up our lives wherever we are”

If everything proceeds as intended, Aditya-L1 will maneuver itself into a halo orbit positioned at one of the five Lagrange points, often referred to as “parking spots” in space. These Lagrange points allow spacecraft to maintain a stable orbit pattern with minimal fuel consumption. Once in this strategic position, Aditya-L1 is poised to obtain an uninterrupted, real-time perspective of the Sun's influence on environmental conditions near Earth and other celestial bodies. This achievement would place India among the nations actively conducting solar research missions.

The duration from Aditya L1's launch to its separation from the rocket is expected to span slightly over an hour, totaling 63 minutes.

Union Minister Jitendra Singh took to X, formerly known as twitter, and wrote “Regarding the PSLV-C57/Aditya-L1 Mission, the countdown for the launch, scheduled for 11:50 hrs. IST on September 2, 2023, has officially commenced.” For those unaware, the Aditya-L1 mission's most significant and technically intricate payload is known as the Visible Emission Line Coronagraph, or VELC.

(Image Credit: ISRO)

Aditya-L1 represents India's pioneering space-based observatory dedicated to the study of the Sun. It is set to launch aboard ISRO's trusted Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) at 11:50 AM today. Following a 125-day journey covering approximately 1.5 million kilometers from Earth, the spacecraft is anticipated to be positioned in a Halo orbit encircling the Lagrangian point L1, recognized as the nearest point to the Sun.

“We are very proud to be an Indian, we are very happy to be here to watch the launching. This is the first time, I have come here. We can't explain our happiness,” a spectator told ANI, who arrived at Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota from Chennai to watch the launch of Aditya-L1.

After the resounding success of its third Moon mission, Chandrayaan-3, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is gearing up for another big space mission. The space agency is all set to launch the date of its next Aditya-L1 solar mission today.  Aditya-L1 will be ISRO’s first dedicated Indian space mission for observations of the Sun. This is a fully indigenous effort with the participation of national institutions being launched by the Bengaluru-headquartered space agency.

Read More Here: Mark your calendars for another historical moment! Know date, launch time and live streaming details

VELC, described as “the largest and technically most challenging” payload on Aditya-L1, which underwent integration, testing, and calibration at the Indian Institute of Astrophysics's (IIA) CREST (Centre for Research and Education in Science Technology) campus near Hoskote, with significant collaboration from ISRO.

The primary payload of the Aditya L1 mission, the Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC), which marks India's inaugural space-based mission dedicated to solar research, is scheduled for launch on Saturday. Upon reaching its designated orbit, VELC will transmit a total of 1,440 images daily to the ground station for analysis. A PTI report said that the IIA Scientists expect the first images to be available by February-end.

Here are the objectives of the mission, as listed by ISRO:

– 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.

Around 23 students from government schools in Punjab embarked on a flight on Friday to Sriharikota to participate in ISRO's Aditya L1 launch event. Punjab's School Education minister, Harjot Singh Bains, announced that the state government would cover all expenses for the students visiting Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. Bains emphasized that this initiative is aimed at fostering a deeper interest in science among government school students.

Currently, there are more than 7,000 satellites in orbit around Earth, and this number is projected to increase in the years ahead. India has a keen interest in researching solar flares, as they have the potential to disrupt critical functions such as telecommunications, navigation, remote sensing, GPS, and weather forecasting, all of which rely on the data provided by these satellites.

Key goals of India's solar mission encompass investigating the physics underlying the solar corona and its heating processes, understanding solar wind acceleration, exploring the interplay and dynamics within the solar atmosphere, examining solar wind distribution and temperature disparities, and unraveling the origins of Coronal Mass Ejections (CME) and solar flares, all while studying the effects on near-Earth space weather.

ISRO Chairman S. Somanath paid a visit to the Sri Chengalamma Parameshwari temple in Sullurpeta on Friday, as part of preparations for the Aditya-L1 mission launch, where he prayed for its successful execution. A PTI report said that Somanath offered his prayers to the deity, as confirmed by a temple representative.

Aditya-L1, India's pioneering solar space observatory, is set to launch aboard the PSLV-C57. This mission will host seven distinct payloads, enabling a comprehensive examination of the Sun. Among these payloads, four will focus on solar light observation, while the remaining three will assess in-situ plasma and magnetic field parameters. The most substantial and technically demanding payload on Aditya-L1 is the Visible Emission Line Coronagraph, or VELC.

Aditya L1 Mission will help in studying the effect of the Sun on space weather in real-time as well as other solar activities.

Read More Here: Why is ISRO sending spacecraft to study the Sun and how will they do it?

According to ISRO, there exist five Lagrangian points situated between the Sun and the Earth. The selection of the L1 point within the Halo orbit was made due to its significant advantage of allowing uninterrupted observation of the Sun, free from any occurrences of eclipses.

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chief S Somanath has informed that the satellite will take 125 days to reach the L1 point which is of the Sun-Earth sysytem.

ISRO will be launching the Aditya-L1, onboard the PSLV-C57 rocket, at exactly 11:50 am today (Saturday).

Hello and welcome to our live blog. Here, we are going to bring to you the full live coverage of India's first solar mission – Aditya-L1. Stay with us for constant updates related to ISRO's solar odyssey.