Aditya-L1 Completes First Orbit at Sun-Earth L1 Point

July 3, 2024

With its station at the Sun-Earth Lagrangian point L1, the Aditya-L1 mission is India’s first attempt to study the sun. The spaceship, which was launched on September 2, 2023, reached its target halo orbit around L1 on January 6, 2024.

What is Halo Orbit?

The orbit that Aditya-L1 is in is called the halo orbit, and it has a revolution time of 178 days around the L1 point. This path crosses the line that connects the Sun to Earth. At this point, the spacecraft’s orbital motion is balanced by the pull of gravity.

Challenges in Maintaining Orbit

Along its path, the mission’s path is affected by many forces that can cause it to deviate, such as radiation from the sun and the pulls of other heavenly bodies. To fix the problem, ISRO has done station-keeping maneuvers to make sure the spaceship stays on the right path.

Recent Manoeuvres and Software Validation

Aditya-L1 has performed three important station-keeping maneuvers: on February 22, June 7, and July 2. These complicated moves are very important for keeping the halo circle around the L1 point stable. These maneuvers were successful, which is proof of the ISRO’s advanced flight dynamics software that was made in-house. This proves that the operations were honest and accurate.

Visual Representation and Trajectory Management

In ISRO’s press release, there was a picture of the trajectory that showed the planned orbit (in blue) and a possible deviation (in green) that might have happened without careful maneuvers. The X-Y plane diagram makes it easy to see the mission’s path in relation to the Lagrangian point L1. This makes the spacecraft’s complicated three-dimensional trip dynamics easier to understand.

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