The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has achieved another significant milestone in its space exploration journey. The Aditya-L1 spacecraft, ISRO’s latest mission, has successfully travelled beyond a distance of 9.2 lakh kilometres from Earth, escaping the sphere of Earth’s influence.
The spacecraft is now navigating its path towards the Sun-Earth Lagrange Point 1 (L1), a point in space where the gravitational forces of the Earth and the Sun balance the centrifugal force felt by a spacecraft. This allows the spacecraft to essentially ‘hover’ in space, providing a stable point from which to observe the Sun.
This achievement marks the second time in succession that ISRO has been able to send a spacecraft outside the sphere of influence of the Earth. The first such mission was the Mars Orbiter Mission, which made India the first Asian nation to reach Mars orbit and the first nation in the world to do so in its maiden attempt.
The successful navigation of Aditya-L1 towards L1 is a testament to ISRO’s growing capabilities in space exploration and its commitment to advancing our understanding of space. The mission will provide valuable data about the Sun’s corona, which can help scientists better understand solar storms and their impact on Earth.
