Aditya-L1
![]() Aditya-L1 in preflight | |
Mission type | Solar observation |
---|---|
Operator | ISRO |
COSPAR ID | 2023-132A |
SATCAT no. | 57754![]() |
Website | www |
Mission duration | 5.2 years (planned)[1] 1 year, 7 months and 3 days (elapsed) |
Spacecraft properties | |
Spacecraft | PSLV-XL/C-57 |
Spacecraft type | PSLV |
Bus | I-1K[2] |
Manufacturer | ISRO / IUCAA / IIA |
Payload mass | 1,500 kg (3,300 lb)[1] |
Start of mission | |
Launch date | 2 September 2023[3][4] | , 11:50 IST (06:20 UTC)
Rocket | PSLV-XL C57 |
Launch site | Satish Dhawan Space Centre |
Contractor | ISRO |
Orbital parameters | |
Reference system | Sun–Earth L1 orbit |
Regime | Halo orbit |
Period | 177.86 days[5] |
Epoch | 6 January 2024[6] |
![]() Mission Insignia |
Aditya-L1 (Sanskrit: Āditya IPA: [aːd̪it̪jɐ] 'Sun', L1 'Lagrange Point 1') [a] is a coronagraphy spacecraft for studying the solar atmosphere, designed and developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and various other Indian Space Research Institutes.[1] It is orbiting at about 1.5 million km from Earth in a halo orbit around the Lagrange point 1 (L1) between the Earth and the Sun, where it will study the solar atmosphere, solar magnetic storms, and their impact on the environment around the Earth.[7]
It is the first
On February 2024, Aditya-L1 observed a powerful flare erupt from Earth's sun from its vantage point–a distance of about 1 million miles (1.5 million kilometers).[15]
Mission objectives
The main objectives of Aditya-L1 are:
- To observe the dynamics of the Sun's chromosphere and corona:
- To study coronal heating, the physics of partially ionised plasma, of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and their origins, of the coronal magnetic field and heat transfer mechanisms, and flareexchanges.
- To study
- To observe the physical particle environment around its position.
- To determine the sequence of processes in multiple layers below the corona that lead to solar eruptions.
- To study space weather, and the origin, composition and dynamics of solar wind.[16]
History


The mission was conceptualised in January 2008 by the Advisory Committee for Space Sciences (ADCOS).
The European Space Operations Centre (ESOC), operated by the European Space Agency (ESA) is supporting the mission.[23]
On 11 January 2024, ISRO successfully deployed a 6-meter
Overview

The mission took 126 Earth days after launch to reach the
Aditya-L1 will provide observations of the Sun's
One of the major unsolved problems in the field of solar physics is coronal heating. The upper atmosphere of the Sun has a temperature of 2,000,000 K (2,000,000 °C; 3,600,000 °F), whereas the lower atmosphere is just 6,000 K (5,730 °C; 10,340 °F).[30] In addition, it is not understood exactly how the Sun's radiation affects the dynamics of the Earth's atmosphere on a shorter as well as a longer time scale. The mission will obtain near-simultaneous images of the different layers of the Sun's atmosphere, which will reveal the ways in which energy is channeled and transferred from one layer to another. Thus, the mission will enable a comprehensive understanding of the dynamical processes of the Sun and address some of the outstanding problems in solar physics and heliophysics.
Payloads
The instruments of Aditya-L1 are tuned to observe the solar atmosphere, mainly the chromosphere and corona. In-situ instruments will observe the local environment at the L1 point. There are seven payloads on board, with four for remote sensing of the Sun and three for in-situ observation. The payloads have been developed by different laboratories in the country with close collaborations of various ISRO centres.[31]
Type | Sl.No | Payload | Capability | Laboratories |
---|---|---|---|---|
Remote Sensing Payloads | 1 | Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC) | Corona Imaging and spectroscopy | Bangalore
|
2 | Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT) | Photosphere and chromosphere imaging-narrow and broadband | Inter University Centre for Astronomy & Astrophysics, Pune | |
3 | Solar Low Energy X-ray Spectrometer (SoLEXS) | Soft X-ray spectrometer: Sun-as-a-star observation | Bangalore
| |
4 | High Energy L1 Orbiting X-ray Spectrometer (HEL1OS) | Hard X-ray spectrometer: Sun-as-a-star observation | ||
In-situ Payloads | 5 | Aditya Solar wind Particle Experiment (ASPEX) | Protons and Heavier ions with directions
|
Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad |
6 | Plasma Analyser Package For Aditya (PAPA) | Electrons and Heavier Ions with directions
|
Space Physics Laboratory, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thiruvananthapuram | |
7 | Advanced Tri-axial High Resolution Digital Magnetometers
|
In-situ magnetic field (Bx, By and Bz).
|
Bangalore
|
Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC)
The Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC) is a key instrument on the
Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT)
The SUIT is an ultraviolet imaging telescope designed to study the solar spectral radiation in the ultraviolet range, using narrowband and broadband spectral filters in the range of 200-400 nm with the hope of developing a better understanding between solar activity and the atmospheric dynamics of Earth. The SUIT provides near-simultaneous coverage of the solar atmosphere, from lower photosphere to the upper chromosphere. The instrument was developed by Inter University Centre for Astronomy & Astrophysics, Pune, in collaboration with ISRO.[32]
Solar Low Energy X-ray Spectrometer (SoLEXS)
The SoLEXS is an X-ray spectrometer designed to continuously measure the solar
High Energy L-1 Orbiting X-ray Spectrometer (HEL1OS)
Developed by the Space Astronomy Group, URSC, the HEL1OS (pronounced helios) is an x-ray spectrometer designed to study solar flares in the x-ray spectrum, in particular, energy bands of 10-150 Kev (
Aditya Solar Wind Particle Experiment (ASPEX)
The ASPEX is an instrument composed of low and
Plasma Analyser Package for Aditya (PAPA)
The PAPA is an instrument on board the Aditya-L1 designed to study the temperature, distribution and velocity of the solar winds. The instrument contains two sensors; the Solar Wind Electron Energy Probe (SWEEP) and the Solar Wind lon Composition Analyser (SWICAR). The detectors are used in conjunction to analyse the energy levels of electrons and ions within the solar wind. The instrument was developed by the Space Physics Laboratory of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thiruvananthapuram.[32]
Digital magnetometers
On board the Aditya-L1 spacecraft are a pair of magnetic sensors on a deployable boom, one positioned in the middle and the other at the tip. The purpose of these sensors is to gather information about the magnitude and direction of the Interplanetary Magnetic Fields (IMF), as well as to study other events such as Coronal Mass Ejections (CME). Data from the magnetic sensors will be used to supplement that of the PAPA and ASPEX sensors.[32]
Mission profile

Launch

On 2 September 2023, at 11:50
Aditya-L1, following a flight duration of 63 minutes and 20 seconds, achieved a successful
Aditya-L1 underwent a series of four Earth-bound orbital maneuvres prior to its injection to a transfer orbit towards the Lagrange point (L1). It reached its designated orbit at the L1 point 126 days after its launch on 6 January 2024 at 4:17 IST.[34][35]
Orbit raising burns

- First orbit raising burn
On 3 September 2023, the Aditya-L1 performed its first Earth-bound maneuvre, raising its orbit to a 245 km (152 mi) into 22,459 km (13,955 mi) orbit.[36]
- Second orbit raising burn
On 5 September 2023, Aditya-L1 performed its second Earth-bound maneuvre, raising its orbit to a 282 km (175 mi) into 40,225 km (24,995 mi) orbit.
- Third orbit raising burn
On 10 September 2023, Aditya-L1 performed its third Earth-bound maneuvre, raising its orbit to a 296 km (184 mi) into 71,767 km (44,594 mi) orbit.
- Fourth orbit raising burn
On 15 September 2023, Aditya-L1 performed its fourth Earth-bound maneuvre, raising its original orbit to a 256 km (159 mi) into 121,973 km (75,791 mi) orbit. This was the last of such maneuvers, being directly followed by the Trans-Lagrangian 1 Injection, which took place on 19 September.
- Trans-Lagrangian 1 Injection
On 19 September 2023, Aditya-L1 performed its last maneuvre around Earth to escape its orbit and headed towards the Lagrange 1 point, taking at least four months to further reach its destination, 1.5 million kilometers away.[37]
On 30 September 2023, Aditya-L1 had escaped the Earth's sphere of influence and was on the way to the Lagrange point 1.[37]
- Trajectory correction maneuver
On 6 October 2023, Aditya-L1 performed a Trajectory Correction maneuvre (TCM1). It was needed to correct the trajectory evaluated after tracking the Trans-Lagrangian Point 1 Insertion (TL1I) maneuvre performed on 19 September 2023.[38]
- Halo orbit insertion
On 6 January 2024, Aditya-L1 was successfully injected on the Halo orbit of Lagrange point 1 (HOI), at 4:17 pm IST.[39]
Stage and Sequence | Date/Time | Time (IST) | Periapsis
|
Apoapsis
|
Orbital Period | Burn TIme | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Launch | |||||||
Earth Orbit Insertion | 2 September 2023 | 12:54 p.m | 235 km (146 mi) | 19,500 km (12,100 mi) | 22 hours, 46 minutes | [40] | |
Earth Bound maneuvres | |||||||
Earth Bound maneuvre 1 | 3 September 2023 | 11:40 a.m. | 245 km (152 mi) | 22,459 km (13,955 mi) | 39 hours, 20 minutes | [41] | |
Earth Bound maneuvre 2 | 5 September 2023 | 3:00 a.m | 282 km (175 mi) | 40,225 km (24,995 mi) | 4 days, 23 hours and 30 minutes | [42] | |
Earth Bound maneuvre 3 | 10 September 2023 | 2:30 am | 296 km (184 mi) | 71,767 km (44,594 mi) | 4 days, 23 hours and 45 minutes | [43] | |
Earth Bound maneuvre 4 | 15 September 2023 | 2:15 am | 256 km (159 mi) | 121,973 km (75,791 mi) | 3 days, 23 hours and 45 minutes | [44] | |
Trans-Lagrangian Point 1 Injection | 19 September 2023 | 2:00 am | [45] | ||||
Trajectory correction maneuvres | |||||||
Trajectory Correction maneuvre (TCM) | 6 October 2023 | 16s | [46] | ||||
Halo orbit injection | |||||||
Halo orbit insertion (HOI) | 6 January 2024 | 4:17 pm | approx. 177.86 earth days | [47] |
Orbit
Aditya-L1 completed its first halo orbit around L1 point on July 2, 2024. It takes it approximately 178 days to complete each orbit. It underwent two station-keeping maneuvers on February 22 and June 7, and later one on July 2.[48]
Science phase
Following commissioning and checkout, Adiya L1 began Science observations about three months into the mission. The PAPA instrument on the spacecraft was operationalised on December 12, 2023 and made its first observation on February 10 and 11, 2024.[49]
In conjunction with the Udaipur Solar Observatory and research stations at Thumba, ISRO mobilised all its observation platforms and systems to record the signatures of a Massive Solar Flare in May 2024. Aditya-L1, Chandrayaan-2's orbiter and XPoSat have made observations and observed signatures have been analysed. Aditya-L1 used ASPEX, SOLEX, HEL1OS an its magnetometer instruments to record data.[50] On July 16, 2024, the VELC instrument was used to measure a large Coronal Mass ejection from the Sun. It also studied an accompanying solar flare and the motion of solar particles within the Sun.[51]
Marking its first year of science observation, ISRO released the maiden set of the scientific data from the Aditya L1 to the global scientific community on January 6, 2025 at the ISRO Headquarters in Bengaluru.
Gallery
Images of the sun taken from SUIT (Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope) instrument of Aditya-L1 in different wavelengths.
Team
- Nigar Shaji - Project director
- Sankarasubramanian K - Principal scientist of the mission[56]
See also
- Lagrange point – Equilibrium points near two orbiting bodies
- Solar space missions
- Advanced Composition Explorer – NASA satellite of the Explorer program, at SE-L1 from 1997
- Solar Dynamics Observatory – NASA mission, launched in 2010 to SE-L1
- Solar and Heliospheric Observatory – European space observatory
- Solar Orbiter – European space-based solar observatory
- Parker Solar Probe – NASA probe of the Sun's outer corona
- ISRO – Indian national space and aeronautics agency
References
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