India’s sun probe reaches solar orbit after 4-month journey
- The Aditya-L1 mission, launched in September, is the first by any Asian nation to be placed in orbit around the sun
- It is now at a point where the gravitational forces of both celestial bodies cancel out, allowing it to remain in a stable halo orbit around the sun
India’s solar observation mission on Saturday entered the sun’s orbit after a four-month journey, the latest success for the space exploration ambitions of the world’s most populous nation.
The Aditya-L1 mission was launched in September and is carrying an array of instruments to measure and observe the sun’s outermost layers.
India’s science and technology minister Jitendra Singh said on social media that the probe had reached its final orbit “to discover the mysteries of sun-Earth connection”.
The United States and the European Space Agency have sent numerous probes to the centre of the solar system, beginning with Nasa’s Pioneer programme in the 1960s.
Japan and China have both launched their own solar observatory missions into Earth’s orbit.
But the latest mission by the Indian Space Research Organisation is the first by any Asian nation to be placed in orbit around the sun.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed it as yet another “landmark” in the country’s space programme.
“It is a testament to the relentless dedication of our scientists,” he said on social media. “We will continue to pursue new frontiers of science for the benefit of humanity.”
