India launches first mission to Sun after successful lunar landing

NEW DELHI – India has launched its first mission to study the sun, marking another milestone days after successful landing on moon’s south pole. 

The rocket blasted off shortly before noon on Saturday from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, in southern India for a journey toward the sun. 

“Mission accomplished,” the India Space Research Organization’s (ISRO) control room announced as the spacecraft dashed into the upper atmosphere of Earth.

Taking to social media platform, the ISRO wrote: “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”.

Aditya-L1 started generating the power.
The solar panels are deployed.

The first EarthBound firing to raise the orbit is scheduled for September 3, 2023, around 11:45 Hrs. IST pic.twitter.com/AObqoCUE8I

— ISRO (@isro) September 2, 2023

“The first EarthBound firing to raise the orbit is scheduled for September 3, 2023, around 11:45 Hrs. IST,” it added

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the ISRO for the successful launch of the rocket. He wrote on X that after the success of Chandrayaan-3, India continues its space journey. 

“Congratulations to our scientists and engineers at @isro for the successful launch of India’s first Solar Mission, Aditya -L1. 

“Our tireless scientific efforts will continue in order to develop better understanding of the Universe for the welfare of entire humanity,” he added.

After the success of Chandrayaan-3, India continues its space journey.

Congratulations to our scientists and engineers at @isro for the successful launch of India’s first Solar Mission, Aditya -L1.

Our tireless scientific efforts will continue in order to develop better…

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 2, 2023

The rocket is equipped with seven instruments to study the sun, an official of the ISRO told media, adding that the findings will help scientists understand the various effects of solar activity on earth. 

“It will enable us to understand the sun, its dynamics, as well as the inner heliosphere, which is an important element for current-day technology as well as space weather aspects,” the principal scientist of the mission, Sankarasubramanian K, said.