On September 3, the first Earth-bound launch that boosted the Aditya-L1 rocket’s orbit took place. The orbiting observatory is healthy and functioning normally. “The first Earth-bound maneuver (EBN#1) went smoothly, and the next maneuver (EBN#2) will occur on September 5, 2023,” according to a tweet from ISRO. Aditya-L1 makes five maneuvers over the 16-day stay in Earth-bound orbit to reach the necessary speed for its journey. The satellite began producing electricity and installing solar panels after the launch.
The satellite spent its entire mission life in an erratic orbit around L1, a gravitationally balanced site halfway between Earth and the Sun. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched the Aditya-L1 on September 2, with the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) in its 59th launch.
Aditya-L1’s most recent orbit seems “sound” by ISRO
The mission takes off by the ISRO Telemetry, Tracking, and Command Network (ISTRAC) in Bengaluru into an earth-bound orbit. It will remain in this orbit for 16 days before making its next move at around 3 a.m. IST on the 5th of this month.
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Indian Solar mission, Aditya-L1
On September 3, the first Earth-bound launching that elevated the orbit of the Aditya-L1 rocketed out. It was the day after India’s first solar observatory mission took off. The ISTRAC in Bengaluru carried out the maneuver.
The orbiting observatory is healthy
According to the space agency, the orbiting observatory is healthy and functioning normally. “From ISTRAC, Bengaluru, the first Earth-bound maneuver (EBN#1) went smoothly. The new orbit is 245km x 22459km in size. On the 5th of this month around 03:30 IST, the following maneuver (EBN#2) will occur,” according to a tweet from ISRO on X (formerly Twitter).
Aditya-L1 remains in Earth-bound orbit for 16 days
Following a successful launch, ISRO reported that the Aditya-L1 began producing electricity and that solar panels appeared installed. Aditya-L1 spends the 16 days after launch in Earth-bound orbits, performing five maneuvers to attain the required speed for its journey.
Trans-Lagrangian one insertion maneuver
Aditya-L1 then performs a Trans-Lagrangian one insertion maneuver, starting its 110-day journey to the location near the L1 Lagrange point. As soon as Aditya-L1 reaches the L1 point, another movement locks it into an orbit around L1, a gravitationally balanced site halfway between the Earth and the Sun.
The satellite spends the entirety of its mission life in an erratic orbit around L1 in a plane nearly parallel to the line connecting the Earth and the Sun.
About Aditya-L1
On September 2, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched Aditya-L1, India’s first solar observatory mission. At 11.50 a.m., the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), in its 59th launch with the Aditya-L1 aboard, lifted off from Sriharikota’s Satish Dhawan Space Centre.
The PSLV launched the spacecraft at 12.53 p.m., placing it in a highly quirky orbit close to the Earth about 63 minutes after liftoff. The workhorse launch vehicle used by ISRO had one of its longest flights in recent memory.
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