India Launches Its First Sun Observation Mission

India has achieved another historic milestone in space exploration, launching its first solar observation mission shortly after its historic landing near the Moon’s south pole.

Aditya-L1, named after the Hindu god of the Sun, Surya, embarked on its journey from Sriharikota at 11:50 India time (06:20 GMT) .

This spacecraft will travel 1.5 million kilometers (932,000 miles) from Earth, just 1% of the Earth-Sun distance and this journey is expected to take about four months.

Aditya-L1 is headed for Lagrange point 1 (L1), the precise location between the Sun and Earth where gravitational forces balance, allowing a spacecraft to effectively “hover”, says the European Space Agency.

 Upon reaching this strategic position, the satellite will synchronize its orbit with that of Earth, requiring minimal fuel for its operation. (BBC)