Aditya-L1 Mission: Capturing Earth and Moon on its journey to the Sun | Fusion - WeRIndia

India’s ambitious Aditya-L1 spacecraft mission, en route to its destination at Lagrangian point (L1) located 1.5 million km from Earth, has recently shared captivating images of our planet and the Moon.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) unveiled these stunning visuals, including a ‘selfie’ snapped by Aditya-L1 itself.

In this context, ISRO announced that Aditya-L1 took a selfie and images of the Earth and the Moon.

These captivating snapshots, captured on September 4, 2023, showcase the visible emission line coronagraph and solar ultraviolet imager instruments, as observed by the spacecraft’s onboard camera.

The mission embarked on its journey from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh on September 2, setting its course for the L1 point.

Along the way, Aditya-L1 has already accomplished two earth-bound orbital manoeuvres, with two more to go before reaching Lagrange point L1.

The spacecraft is projected to reach its intended orbit at L1 after 125 days.

The primary objective of this mission is to delve into the intricacies of solar phenomena. These include studying the physics of solar corona and its heating mechanisms, the acceleration of solar wind, dynamics of the solar atmosphere, solar wind distribution, temperature anisotropy etc.

In addition, it also focuses on studying the origins of Coronal Mass Ejections (CME) and solar flares, which have significant implications for near-earth space weather.

Aditya-L1’s mission is yet another feather in ISRO’s cap, coming less than a month after India’s achievement of being the first nation to reach the lunar south pole in late August.

The Indian Space Agency’s endeavours are not limited to this mission alone.

They are also actively pursuing a human spaceflight program with aspirations to launch astronauts into orbit, potentially achieving this historic milestone by 2025.

Aditya-L1’s mesmerizing images of Earth and the Moon serve as a testament to India’s growing prowess in space exploration, showcasing its commitment to unravelling the mysteries of the cosmos.

Image Credit: Ank Kumar, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Image Reference: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:ISRO_GSLV_%28Geostationary_Satellite_Launch_Vehicle%29_model_at_HAL_Museum,_Bengaluru_%28Ank_Kumar%29_01.jpg