India's first space-based mission to study the Sun, the Aditya L1 spacecraft, is approaching its final phase. ISRO Chairman S. Somanath has indicated that maneuvers to enter the L1 point are anticipated to be finalized by January 7, 2024.
Aditya is on the way. I think it has reached almost its final phase, the ISRO chief told PTI on the sidelines of an event organised at VSSC to commemorate the 60th year of the First Sounding Rocket Launch. He said that the last preparations for the spacecraft’s entry into the L1 point are currently underway incrementally. Possibly by January 7th, the final maneuvers will be done for entering into the L1 point, Somanath added.
Aditya L1 was successfully launched on September 2 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota. The spacecraft, after travelling about 1.5 million km from Earth over 125 days, is expected to be placed in a Halo orbit around the Lagrangian point L1, considered closest to the Sun.