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Critical Topics and Their Significance for the UPSC CSE Examination on August 31, 2024

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ISRO’s Aditya-L1: Why was it placed around Lagrange point 1

For Preliminary Examination: Aditya L1 Mission, Gagnyan Mission, Mangalyan Mission

For Mains Examination: GS III - Science & technology

Context:

India’s first solar mission, the Aditya-L1 spacecraft, recently completed its first halo orbit around the Sun-Earth L1 point. The Aditya-L1 mission – a solar observatory at Lagrangian point L1 – was launched on September 2, 2023 and was inserted in its targeted halo orbit on January 6, 2024.

Read about:

What is Aditya L1 Mission?

What is the Significance of Aditya L1 Mission?

Key takeaways:

India's inaugural solar mission, Aditya-L1, has successfully achieved its first halo orbit around the Sun-Earth L1 point. Launched on September 2, 2023, the Aditya-L1 spacecraft entered its designated halo orbit on January 6, 2024.

Aditya-L1, a solar observatory positioned 1.5 million kilometers from Earth, is ISRO's first mission dedicated to studying the Sun. This mission follows the 2015 AstroSat mission, which focused on observing celestial sources across various spectral bands, including X-ray, optical, and UV.

But how does Aditya-L1 enhance our understanding of the Sun? Why was it strategically placed in a halo orbit around Lagrange point 1? What exactly are Lagrange points and halo orbits?

Aditya-L1 Mission

The Aditya-L1 spacecraft was launched aboard the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C57) and reached its destination in 127 days. The PSLV, known as ISRO’s workhorse, has successfully launched various missions, including Chandrayaan and Mangalyaan.

The mission aims to place the satellite in a halo orbit around the Sun-Earth system’s Lagrange point 1 (L1). Named after mathematician Joseph-Louis Lagrange, Lagrange points are specific positions in a three-body system where the gravitational forces of the two larger bodies balance with the centripetal force on a smaller third object, allowing it to maintain a stable or semi-stable position. Essentially, these are equilibrium points where a smaller object, like a satellite, can stay in a stable position relative to two larger celestial bodies, such as the Earth and the Sun.

What Are Lagrange Points?

The Sun-Earth system has five Lagrange points, each offering unique conditions where a satellite can maintain a stable orbit within the gravitational field of the Sun and Earth.

• L1: Located between Earth and the Sun, L1 allows a satellite to have a continuous, unobstructed view of the Sun, making it ideal for solar observation without the interference of eclipses.
• L2: Positioned on the opposite side of Earth from the Sun, L2 provides a stable orbit with a continuous view of deep space.
• L3: Found directly behind the Sun from Earth’s perspective, L3 is typically not used for missions due to communication and observation challenges.
• L4 and L5: These points are located 60 degrees ahead of and behind Earth in its orbit around the Sun. Both are considered stable Lagrange points, where a satellite, if slightly disturbed, will orbit around these points rather than drift away, making them suitable for long-term space missions and potential future space colonies.

These Lagrange points also exist in other celestial systems, such as the Earth-Moon system, offering similar stable and unstable points.

Significance of the L1 Location