NEW DELHI (Agencies): India marked another historic milestone in space exploration with the successful launch of its first solar study mission, Aditya-L1, just days after a triumphant uncrewed landing near the moon’s south pole. The spacecraft, equipped with seven payloads, was launched from the Sriharikota space center in southern India, embarking on a mission to observe the sun from a vantage point approximately 1.5 million kilometers (930,000 miles) from Earth, known as the L1 point.
The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) confirmed the mission’s success after over an hour of launch. The satellite is set to travel for 125 days to reach its intended destination at the Sun-Earth L1 point.
India had recently made history by becoming the first country to successfully land a spacecraft near the moon’s south pole on August 23, marking a significant achievement in exploring uncharted lunar territory. This success, coupled with the ambitious solar study mission, is reshaping ISRO’s image on the global stage.
Jitendra Singh, India’s junior minister for science and technology, commended ISRO’s efforts, referring to it as a “sunshine moment for India.”
The Aditya-L1 mission will provide crucial insights into the sun’s corona, chromosphere, photosphere, and solar wind. Additionally, it will serve as a valuable resource for early warning of heightened solar activity, which could potentially disrupt power grids on Earth and affect satellite communications.
The successful launch was celebrated by hundreds of onlookers at the space center, who see this achievement as a testament to India’s growing prominence in the field of space exploration. The mission promises to deliver a comprehensive understanding of the sun, akin to obtaining black-and-white, color, and high-definition images of our star.
As India continues to expand its capabilities in space research, its role in contributing to the global understanding of the sun and other celestial phenomena is set to grow significantly.