India's First Solar Mission Reaches Halo Orbit

Facts

• India on Saturday placed Aditya-L1, its first solar observation mission launched on Sept. 2, in the scheduled orbit from where it can continuously study the sun.¹
• At around 4 p.m. local time (5:30 a.m. EST), Aditya-L1 reached Lagrange Point 1 (L1) — about 1.5M kilometers from the Earth.²
• At L1, located between the gravitational fields of the sun and Earth, Aditya-L1's seven payloads will observe the sun's photosphere, chromosphere, and the outermost corona layer.³
• Built at nearly $46M, Aditya-L1 was launched days after India became the only nation to achieve a successful soft landing near the moon's south pole.⁴
• L1's distance from the Earth is around 1% of the Earth-sun distance. However, Aditya-L1 could provide early warning of solar eruptions, helping India and other countries protect their satellites.¹
• According to the Indian Space Research Organisation, the country has assets worth over ₹50K crores ($6B) in space, including more than 50 satellites, which must be protected against solar storms.⁵

Sources: ¹BBC News, ²Business Today, ³Independent, ⁴UNILAD and ⁵NDTV.com.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by Firstpost. Do not let India's current 2% share in the global space market lull you into underestimating its capabilities. The country has repeatedly demonstrated its sophistication and ambition in the field. It has consistently achieved its targets, be it building a sturdy satellite constellation or its recent leap to the moon. Today's solar success merely adds another feather to that hat. And the best part is that all this is mostly done at a fraction of the cost that other space powers incur on similar missions.
• Narrative B, as provided by Geospatial World. Unfortunately, despite the growing murmur of private participation in India's space program, it remains firmly state-controlled. This may not help it progress and expand as rapidly as the nation wants it to. Private enthusiasm is important for such a deeply significant sector, given its implications and potential. India's space agency may not have the money to chaperone the industry for too long. Therefore, companies like Skyroot, Agnikul, and Bellatrix are a good sign.

Predictions