Aditya L1 launch: After Sun & Moon missions, Isro eyes more 'sunshine moments' in the vast skies

NEW DELHI: After a triumphant journey to the Moon with Chandrayaan-3, India on Saturday had yet another "sunshine moment" with the successful launch of Aditya L1 — its maiden solar mission.

Shortly before noon on Saturday, the Aditya-L1 spacecraft took off on board a PSLV rocket from the Sriharikota space center on a quest to study the Sun from a point about 1.5 million kilometers (930,000 miles) from Earth, known as L-1.

Aditya L1 launch: As it happened

The spacecraft successfully separated from the launch vehicle and was injected into the "precise orbit" so that it can proceed on its 125-day journey towards the point, the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) said.

Aditya L1 launched successfully: Isro chief (Watch video)

'India's sunshine moment'
3 Excerpts
* Aditya L1 spacecraft has been successfully injected in an 235km x 19,500km elliptical orbit.

* It was a very unique mission mode. This was the first time the launch vehicle's upper stage took two burn sequences to put the spacecraft into its intended orbit.

* Aditya L1 will now start its long journey of 125 days to the L1 point, which offers an uninterrupted view of the Sun.

2 Video Moments
* While the whole world watched the mission with bated breath, it was indeed a sunshine moment for India: Union minister Jitendra Singh (Watch video)

* Former Isro chief Professor UR Rao was the one who sowed the seed for India's first-ever solar mission. (Watch video)

1 Insight
* Once commissioned, Aditya L1 will be an asset to the heliophysics of the country and the global scientific fraternity, says mission's project director Nigar Shaji. (Watch video)

Former ISS commander Chris Hadfield on India's space forays (Watch video)
3 Excerpts
* Besides Aditya L1, India has also been working on sending Indian astronauts to space with the Gaganyaan mission. That's going to be huge. A very few nations are capable of building their own spaceships and rockets to send humans to space.

* Hundreds of space businesses are also coming to the fore in India. The country offers an educated workforce, a vast number of people and really high-end technology.

* Compared to what other countries spend on space, India's "shoe-string" budgets are its strength. It can build technology not just for Indian purposes but can also sell it to the rest of the world.

2 Video Moments
* PM Modi is very much directly involved with Isro. He is closely monitoring their conversations. (Watch video)

* India is witnessing a natural evolution, from sending multiple satellites to space to moon landing to now sending a mission to Sun. It's a demonstration of the increased capability of Indian technology. (Watch video)

1 Insight
* When we put something like Aditya between Earth and Sun, we will be able to protect our electrical & internet grid from the electromagnetic energry coming from the Sun. (Watch video)

What's next in India's space journey
3 Key Points
* After its Sun (Aditya L1) and Moon (Chandrayaan-3) missions, Isro has several other space odyssys in its pipeline, including the human spaceflight mission.

* ISRO's next launch, Gaganyaan-1, is scheduled for the first week of October. This mission will mark the initiation of an uncrewed spacecraft flight test, paving the way for Gaganyaan-2, another uncrewed flight test. These crucial missions will serve as the building blocks for Gaganyaan-3, anticipated in 2025, when India embarks on its historic journey to send humans into space.

* Besides Gaganyaan, Isro is planning to launch the Venus orbitor mission Shukrayaan-1, by the end of 2024. It is also planning the second Mars mission, Mangalyaan 2, in 2024.


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