India's first space-based mission to study the sun, Aditya L1, has successfully completed its fourth earth-bound manoeuvre, according to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). The manoeuvre, known as EBN #4, was tracked by ISRO's ground stations in Mauritius, Bengaluru, SDSC-SHAR, and Port Blair. The satellite is currently stationed in the Fiji Islands, where a transportable terminal will support post-burn operations. The new orbit achieved is 256 km x 121973 km. The next manoeuvre, TL1I, which marks the satellite's departure from Earth, is scheduled for September 19.
Aditya-L1, which began its journey on September 2, will undergo a total of five orbit-raising manoeuvres to reach its destination, the Sun-Earth Lagrange Point 1 (L1). The first three earth-bound manoeuvres were successfully executed on September 3, 5, and 10. The mission aims to study the sun from a halo orbit around the L1 point, located approximately 1.5 million kilometres from Earth.
The L1 point is a gravitationally stable position where the gravitational forces of the sun and earth balance each other. This allows Aditya L1 to remain in a fixed position relative to the sun, enabling continuous observations of the solar atmosphere without any occultation or eclipses. The mission is expected to provide valuable insights into the physics of the solar atmosphere, solar magnetic storms, and their effects on the Earth.
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