Aditya-L1 clicks selfie, images of earth, moon

New Delhi, September 7

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Thursday released a “selfie” and images of the earth and the moon — the first of the images taken by the camera on-board the Aditya-L1 solar mission spacecraft. The spacecraft is headed for its destination, Lagrangian Point 1 (L1), located 1.5 million km from the earth.

Solar Odyssey

• ISRO launched Aditya-L1 using its trusted PSLV-C57 rocket on September 2
• The Aditya-L1 spacecraft carries 7 payloads to study sun
• 4 to observe sun light, 3 will measure in situ parameters of plasma, magnetic fields

“Aditya L1, destined for the sun-earth L1 point, takes a selfie and images of the earth and the moon,” the state-run space agency said.

The images show VELC (Visible Emission Line Coronagraph) and SUIT (Solar Ultraviolet Imager) instruments as seen by the camera on-board Aditya-L1 on September 4.

VELC will be sending 1,440 images per day to the ground station for analysis on reaching the intended orbit.

The mission lifted off from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh on September 2.

The spacecraft has already completed two earth-bound orbital manoeuvres and will perform three more before leaving the earth’s sphere of gravity and start its journey towards Lagrangian Point 1 (L1). Aditya-L1 is expected to arrive at the intended orbit after 125 days. The solar mission is ISRO’s second feat in less than a month after India beat others in the race to the lunar south pole in late August. ISRO successfully launched Aditya-L1 using its trusted PSLV-C57 rocket on September 2. The Aditya-L1 spacecraft carries a total of seven different payloads to study the sun, four of which will observe the light from the sun and the remaining three will measure in situ parameters of the plasma and magnetic fields. Aditya-L1 will be placed in a halo orbit around Lagrangian Point 1 (L1). It will revolve around the sun with the same relative position and hence can see the Sun continuously.

Japan joins lunar race, isro sends wishes

• Japan launched a lunar exploration spacecraft on Thursday aboard a homegrown H-IIA rocket, hoping to become the world’s fifth country to land on the moon early next year
• The rocket carrying an X-ray telescope will explore the origins of the universe

Best wishes for another successful lunar endeavour by the global space community. ISRO

• The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) said the rocket successfully released the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM)
• Dubbed the “moon sniper”, Japan aims to land SLIM within 100 metres of its target site on the lunar surface