Aditya L-1 launch: PSLV C57 carrying India's first solar mission lifts off successfully from Sriharikota

The Congress on Saturday hailed the launch of Aditya-L1 as a "stupendous achievement" for India, as it shared a timeline of the mission from its conceptualisation and asserted that nations build capacity of science, technology and research not in a few years but decades. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Saturday launched the country's ambitious solar mission Aditya L1, eyeing history again after its successful lunar expedition, Chandrayan-3, a few days ago. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said, "We are indebted and grateful to our scientists, space engineers, researchers and our hard-working personnel at @ISRO for the successful launch of AdityaL1 - Solar Observation Mission." "Together, we celebrate their success and honour them with our gratitude," he said and shared a timeline of the mission. India started the journey to the sun in 2006 when our scientists proposed a solar observatory with a single instrument for the Sun, he said in a post on X.

Jharkhand Governor C P Radhakrishnan and Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Saturday congratulated the scientists of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for the successful launch of the country's ambitious Solar mission, Aditya L1. As the 23.40-hour countdown concluded, the 44.4-metre tall Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) soared majestically at the prefixed time of 11.50 am from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota, located on the Eastern coast about 135 km from Chennai.

PSLV-C57/Aditya-L1 Mission: The launch of Aditya-L1 by PSLV-C57 is accomplished successfully. The vehicle has placed the satellite precisely into its intended orbit. India’s first solar observatory has begun its journey to the destination of Sun-Earth L1 point, say ISRO

The payload covering the ISRO's Aditya L1 spacecraft has been separated as it leaves Earth's atmosphere. Currently, the third stage is separated as per ISRO. The third stage of the separation of PSLV has been completed.

ISRO on Saturday launched the country's ambitious Solar mission, Aditya L1 eyeing history again after its successful lunar expedition, Chandrayan 3 a few days ago. As the 23.40-hour countdown concluded, the 44.4 meter tall Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) soared majestically at the prefixed time of 11.50 am from this spaceport, located on the Eastern coast about 135 km from Chennai. It will be PSLV's "longest flight" for about 63 minutes. According to ISRO, Aditya-L1 is the first space-based observatory to study the Sun. The spacecraft, after traveling about 1.5 million km from the Earth over 125 days, is expected to be placed in a Halo orbit around the Lagrangian point L1 which is considered closest to the Sun.

Ahead of the launch of the country's maiden solar mission- Aditya-L1- a Surya Namaskar was performed at the Doon Yoga Peeth for its success. The Surya Namaskar was performed in the presence of spiritual guru Acharya Bipin Joshi.

Ahead of the launch of ISRO's first space venture to study the sun astronomer and Profesor RC Kapoor on Saturday said that the most important instrument on the Aditya-L1 mission launch will study the corona of the Sun. In Bengaluru, speaking to media, Kapoor said, "This is a very important day. The most important instrument on Aditya L1 will study the Corona of the Sun. Normally, which can only be studied during full solar eclipse."

Nehru Science Centre in Mumbai has scheduled a screening at 11:30 am today. An exhibition has also been organised on Aditya-L1 launch mission. 

(REPORT: NAMRATA DUBEY) 

As the countdown for India's maiden solar mission Aditya-L1 began on Friday, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chief S Somanath said that it is an important launch and the satellite will take 125 days to reach the L1 point.Somanath offered prayers at Chengalamma Parameshwari Temple in Tirupati district, ahead of the launch of Aditya-L1 Mission, India's first solar mission, on September 2 at 11.50 am from the Sriharikota spaceport in Andhra Pradesh.

The major objectives of the mission include understanding the Coronal Heating and Solar Wind Acceleration, the initiation of Coronal Mass Ejection, and near-earth space weather and the solar wind distribution. The Aditya-L1 mission carries seven scientific payloads to carry out the study. The Sun expedition comes close on the heels of ISRO's successful moon mission, Chandrayaan 3.

Two scientists from Pune's prestigious Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA) on Friday said they were eagerly awaiting the results of one of the main payloads they are associated with of Aditya L1, which will be launched by PSLV-C57 rocket on September 2 at 11:50 AM. Aditya L1, the first mission of the Indian Space Research Organisation to study the sun, carries seven payloads, four of which will observe the light from the sun and the remaining three will measure insitu parameters of the plasma and magnetic fields. Durgesh Tripathi and AN Ramaprakash, who have dedicated the past 10 years to develop the Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT), one of the main payloads on the Aditya-L1 mission, told PTI they were "very excited". "It all started in 2013 after ISRO announced its mission to study the sun. I then spoke to my colleague A N Ramprakash, who is also a professor at IUCAA. We began working on the project and wrote proposals to numerous colleagues from different institutes, seeking their collaboration," Tripathi said. "Our journey to develop SUIT started with building a team of experts. Along the way, we even recruited students and post-doctoral fellows, provided training to them, and made some hires as per the project's requirements. Now, SUIT is ready and fitted onto Aditya-L1. We now eagerly await the results," he added.

The largest and technically most challenging payload on Aditya-L1 is the Visible Emission Line Coronagraph or VELC. VELC was integrated, tested, and calibrated at the Indian Institute of Astrophysics’ CREST (Centre for Research and Education in Science Technology) campus in Hosakote in collaboration with ISRO.

The launch of the country's maiden solar mission- Aditya-L1 will be streamed live at B M Birla Planetarium on Saturday in the city, an official said here.Citizens will get to witness the live streaming (online) of the launch of Aditya-L1 on Saturday in the BM Birla Planetarium. A science talk on the ‘Sun and Aditya-L1 mission’ will also be held, Director of BM Birla Science Centre and Planetarium KG Kumar said on Friday.

READ: ISRO's Aditya L1 Mission Live Stream: When and where to watch? All details

The weather is favourable for Aditya-L1 mission and the temperature is around 34.1 degrees Celsius, wind speed is 0.3 meter per second.

(REPORT: T RAGHAVAN)

Aditya-L1 will be placed in a halo orbit around Lagrangian Point 1 (or L1), which is 1.5 million km away from the Earth in the direction of the sun. It is expected to cover the distance in four months' time.

READ: ISRO all set for Aditya-L1 launch, shares quick facts about it: Check here

As many as 23 students of Punjab government schools Friday took a flight from here to Sriharikota to attend ISRO's Aditya L1 launch event. As India aims for the Sun on Saturday with its maiden solar expedition, ISRO's PSLV C57 will carry the Aditya L1 mission on a 125-day voyage to the Sun. The 23. 10 hour countdown for the launch commenced at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh on Friday, ISRO said. Students of Punjab government schools took a flight from here on Friday to witness the launch event. Punjab School Education minister Harjot Singh Bains said on Friday that the state government will bear all the expenses of the students visiting Sriharikota in Andhra. Bains said this step was aimed at raising the interest of governemnt school students in science.

Ahead of India's Aditya-L1 solar mission, a top scientist said the monitoring of the Sun on a 24-hour basis is a must to study solar quakes which can alter the geomagnetic fields of earth. The Aditya-L1 mission to study the Sun is slated to be launched at 11.50 am from the Sriharikota spaceport on Saturday. Explaining the need to study the Sun, Professor and In-Charge Scientist at the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), Dr R Ramesh told PTI that just as there are earthquakes on Earth, there are something called solar quakes - called as Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) - on the surface of the Sun. In this process, millions and millions of tons of solar materials are thrown into the interplanetary space, he said, adding these CMEs can travel at a speed of approximately 3,000 km per second. "Some of the CMEs can also be directed towards the Earth. The fastest CME can reach near Earth space in approximately 15 hours," Dr Ramesh pointed out.