ISRO Conducts Second Orbit-Raising for Aditya-L1 Solar Probe

ISRO recently conducted a second orbit-raising maneuver for the Aditya-L1 solar probe. This maneuver, carried out on Tuesday at 2:30 a.m., involved altering the spacecraft’s orbit while it was still close to Earth.

As a result of this maneuver, the Aditya-L1 probe now follows an elliptical orbit, positioned at a distance of 282 km at its closest point to Earth and 40,225 km at its farthest point. The probe, launched on a Saturday, has a mission to travel a total distance of 15 lakh kilometers to reach the first Lagrange Point. Another orbit-raising operation is scheduled for September 10 at 2:30 a.m., marking the second time ISRO has adjusted Aditya-L1’s orbital altitude.

ISRO plans to carry out three more orbit-raising maneuvers, eventually enabling Aditya-L1 to escape Earth’s gravitational pull. This entire process is expected to take 16 days to complete.

Aditya-L1 is anticipated to reach the first Lagrange Point after approximately 125 days of travel. At this point, the probe will remain stationary, aiming to study the Sun from a distance of 14.85 crore km. The mission’s primary objectives include investigating the Sun’s halo, its thermal properties, energy waves, light ray fluctuations, and potentially harmful radiation.

ISRO is managing the Aditya-L1 mission from Mission Control Centers located in Mauritius, Bengaluru, and Port Blair in the Andaman Islands.