NEW! The Gist (AUG-24) | E-BOOKS
(GIST OF SCIENCE REPORTER) ADITYA-L1 SPACECRAFT COMPLETED ITS FIRST HALO ORBIT
(GIST OF SCIENCE REPORTER) ADITYA-L1 SPACECRAFT COMPLETED ITS FIRST HALO ORBIT
(AUGUST-2024)
ADITYA-L1 SPACECRAFT COMPLETED ITS FIRST HALO ORBIT
-
Why in News: India’s first solar mission Aditya-L1 spacecraft completed its first halo orbit around the Sun-Earth Lagrangian point L1 point on 2 July 2024.
About Aditya L-1
-
The Aditya-L1 mission is an Indian solar observatory at Lagrangian point L1, launched by PSLV-C57 on September 2, 2023 and was inserted in its targeted halo orbit on January 6, 2024 which is about 1.5 million km from the Earth.
-
According to ISRO, Aditya-L1 spacecraft in the halo orbit took 178 days to complete a revolution around the L1 point
What is a Lagrange Point?
-
Lagrange points are positions in space where objects sent there tend to stay put.
-
At Lagrange points, the gravitational pull of two large masses precisely equals the centripetal force required for a small object to move with them.
-
These points in space can be used by spacecraft to reduce fuel consumption needed to remain in position.
-
There are five special points where a small mass can orbit in a constant pattern with two larger masses. Of the five Lagrange points, three are unstable and two are stable.
-
Unstable Lagrange points - labeled L1, L2 and L3 - lie along the line connecting the two large masses.
-
Stable Lagrange points - labeled L4 and L5 - form the apex of two equilateral triangles that have the large masses at their vertices. L4 leads the orbit of earth and L5 follows.
-
L1 point of the Earth-Sun system affords an uninterrupted view of the sun.
Halo Orbit
-
Halo orbit is a periodic, three-dimensional orbit at L1, L2 or L3 Lagrange points in a 3-body system
-
Halo Orbits can be thought of as resulting from an interaction between the gravitational pull of the two planetary bodies and the Coriolis and centrifugal force on a spacecraft.
-
Halo orbits exist in any 3-body system, e.g., an Earth-Moon orbiting satellite system.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD FULL PDF
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD UPSC E-BOOKS
Study Material for UPSC General Studies Pre Cum Mains
Get The Gist 1 Year Subscription Online
Click Here to Download More Free Sample Material
<<Go Back To Main Page
Courtesy: Science Reporter