Isro's Aditya-L1 Completed First Halo Orbit Around the Sun-Earth L1 point

Bengaluru: India's space agency, ISRO, is celebrating a major achievement with its Aditya-L1 mission. Today, the Aditya-L1 spacecraft successfully wrapped up its first halo orbit around the Sun-Earth L1 point and seamlessly transitioned into its second!

Launched in September 2023, Aditya-L1 is India's first space-based solar observatory. It reached its designated halo orbit in January 2024. 

This special orbit allows the spacecraft to stay positioned roughly 1.5 million kilometers from Earth, directly between our planet and the Sun.

However, maintaining this orbit requires constant monitoring and adjustments. The spacecraft is influenced by various external forces that can nudge it off course. To counteract this, ISRO's team performed a series of station-keeping maneuvers. Today's maneuver was particularly crucial, ensuring Aditya-L1 smoothly entered its second halo orbit.

This achievement marks a significant milestone for the mission. It demonstrates the spacecraft's ability to navigate its complex trajectory and ISRO's expertise in spacecraft operations. 

The intricate calculations required to predict these external forces and plan corrective maneuvers highlight the sophistication of ISRO's flight dynamics software, developed specifically for the Aditya-L1 mission.

With Aditya-L1 now in its second halo orbit, it will continue collecting invaluable data about the Sun. This data will further our understanding of solar activity and its impact on Earth, paving the way for advancements in space weather prediction and communication technologies.