India to Launch Aditya L1 Mission to Study the Sun

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has announced the launch of its next major project, the Aditya-L1 Mission, India's first solar mission that has the potential to revolutionise our understanding of the Sun's dynamics and space weather. ISRO has set September 2nd, Saturday, as the launch date for its first-ever solar mission. The Aditya-L1 mission, according to ISRO, is the first space-based observatory-class Indian solar mission to study the Sun. It will be placed in a halo orbit around the Sun-Earth system's Lagrangian point (L1).

ISRO scientists used the 'XL' variant of the polar satellite launch vehicle (PSLV) that would carry the spacecraft and seven payloads on Saturday. PSLV-XL variants similar to this one were used in the Chandrayaan-1 mission in 2008 and the Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) in 2013.

Before the launch of the Aditya L1 Mission, ISRO chief S Somanath offered prayers at Chengalamma Parameshwari Temple in Tirupati district, Andhra Pradesh.

The satellite is expected to be launched into orbit in the middle of January, after which we will conduct tests to ensure that all systems are operational, and we expect to receive regular data by the end of February.