After Chandrayaan-3 Success, ISRO Next Plans to Launch Aditya-L1

Following the triumph of the Chandrayaan-3 lunar landing, India’s space agency, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), has unveiled its upcoming venture—a mission dedicated to studying the sun. The Aditya-L1, India’s pioneering solar research observatory, is now preparing for launch from Sriharikota, the country’s primary spaceport. This announcement comes as the scientific community celebrates the recent success of the moon mission.

Aditya-L1 Solar Observatory Mission Set for Launch

S Somanath, ISRO chairman, shared that the launch of the Aditya-L1 is planned for the first week of September. Named after the Hindi word for the sun, the spacecraft is designed to be India’s inaugural space-based solar probe. Its primary goal is to examine solar winds, which can induce disturbances on Earth, often recognized as mesmerizing “auroras.” The insights garnered from this mission could contribute to a better comprehension of the sun’s impact on Earth’s climate patterns.

Notably, recent findings from the European Space Agency/NASA Solar Orbiter revealed the detection of sporadic jets of charged particles emerging from the sun’s corona. These findings hold the potential to illuminate the origins of solar wind.

Deploying India’s robust launch vehicle, the PSLV, the Aditya-L1 spacecraft will embark on a four-month, 1.5 million km journey to explore the sun’s atmosphere. It will position itself in a Lagrange Point, a gravitational equilibrium zone in space that requires minimal fuel consumption for spacecraft stability. This innovative approach aligns with the principles of Joseph-Louis Lagrange, the Italian-French mathematician.

In terms of funding, the government allocated approximately $46 million (roughly Rs. 380 crore) for the Aditya-L1 mission in 2019. Although ISRO hasn’t disclosed official cost updates, this mission highlights India’s reputation for cost-effective space engineering, anticipated to stimulate the burgeoning private space industry.

To put this in perspective, the Chandrayaan-3 mission, which achieved a successful lunar south pole landing, operated with a budget of about $75 million (nearly Rs. 620 crore).

As anticipation mounts, India’s space aspirations continue to soar with the imminent launch of the Aditya-L1 solar observatory, promising groundbreaking insights into the sun’s enigmatic realm.