ISRO's Aditya-L1 Completes First Halo Orbit At Lagrange Point 1 In 178 Days

ISRO announced India’s Aditya-L1 completed its first halo orbit around Sun-Earth L1, taking 178 days.

New Delhi: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announced that India’s first space-based solar observatory, Aditya-L1 completed its first halo orbit around the Sun-Earth L1 point on Tuesday. The solar observatory was launched on Sept 2, 2023, and inserted into its targeted halo orbit on Jan 6, 2024. 

The research department in the released statement informed that the  Aditya-L1 spacecraft in the Halo orbit takes 178 days to complete a revolution around the L1 point. 

"Today, Aditya-L1 completed its first halo orbit around the Sun-Earth L1 point. Inserted on January 6, 2024, it took 178 days, to complete a revolution," ISRO said.

Today, Aditya-L1 completed its first halo orbit around the Sun-Earth L1 point. Inserted on January 6, 2024, it took 178 days, to complete a revolution.

Today's station-keeping manoeuvre ensured its seamless transition into… pic.twitter.com/yB6vZQpIvE — ISRO (@isro) July 2, 2024

ISRO also said that during the journey in the halo orbit, the Aditya-L1 spacecraft will be subjected to various perturbing forces that will cause it to depart from the targeted orbit.

"During its travel in the halo orbit, Aditya-L1 spacecraft will be subjected to various perturbing forces that will cause it to depart from the targeted orbit. It underwent two station-keeping manoeuvres on February 22 and June 7, respectively, to maintain this orbit," Isro said in the release.

"Today's 3rd station-keeping manoeuvre has ensured that its travel continued into the second halo orbit path around L1," the research department added.

ISRO stated that the understanding of various perturbing forces acting on the spacecraft helped in determining the trajectory accurately.