Aditya-L1 successfully undergoes the second earth-bound manoeuvre: ISRO

Aditya-L1 successfully undergoes the second earth-bound manoeuvre: ISRO

Subject : Science and technology

Section : Space technology

Aditya-L1’s Second Earth-bound Manoeuvre

• Successful execution of the second Earth-bound manoeuver.
• Conducted from ISTRAC (ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network), Bengaluru.
• Tracking by ground stations at Mauritius, Bengaluru, and Port Blair.
• Performed on September 5, resulting in a new orbit of 282 km x 40,225 km.

Upcoming Manoeuvres

• Three more manoeuvres are scheduled.
• The next manoeuvre is planned for September 10, 2023
• Final manoeuvre on September 18, leading to a Trans-Lagrangian1 insertion manoeuvre.
• Aditya-L1’s 110-day trajectory towards the L1 Lagrange point.
• Binding to an orbit around L1 upon arrival.

Aditya-L1 Mission Details

• Aditya-L1’s role as India’s first space-based observatory for Sun study.
• Halo Orbit: A halo orbit is a three-dimensional, kidney-shaped orbit that encircles the Lagrange point.
  • It allows the spacecraft to maintain a relatively stable position relative to the Lagrange point.
  • Continuous Sun observation without occultation or eclipses.
  • Real-time monitoring of solar activities and space weather.
• The location of L1 is approximately 1.5 million km from Earth.
• Launch via ISRO’s PSLV-C57 on September 2.
• Seven scientific payloads on Aditya-L1.
• Objectives: Observing the photosphere, chromosphere, and the solar corona using electromagnetic, particle, and magnetic field detectors.

Transfer orbits:

Transfer orbits are used in spaceflight to move spacecraft from one orbit to another or between celestial bodies.

Here are some different types of transfer orbits:

• Hohmann Transfer Orbit:
  • Purpose: Efficiently transfers a spacecraft from one circular orbit to another circular orbit.
  • Characteristics: Elliptical orbit with two burn maneuvers, one to raise the spacecraft’s apogee (farthest point) and one to lower its perigee (nearest point).
  • Commonly used for missions within the same gravitational field, like Earth to Moon or satellite parking orbits.
• Bi-Elliptic Transfer:
  • Purpose: Minimizes fuel consumption by taking a longer route with fewer delta-v burns.
  • Characteristics: Involves transitioning from one circular orbit to a highly elliptical orbit and then to the final circular orbit.
  • Used when efficiency and fuel conservation are more critical than travel time.
• Interplanetary Transfer Orbit:
  • Purpose: Transfers a spacecraft between planets or celestial bodies within the solar system.
  • Characteristics: Complex trajectory involving multiple phases, including Earth escape, cruise, and arrival/capture orbits around the target body.
  • Used for missions like Mars rovers or missions to outer planets.
• Gravity Assist Transfer:
  • Purpose: Uses the gravitational pull of celestial bodies (usually planets) to change a spacecraft’s velocity and trajectory.
  • Characteristics: Spacecraft fly close to a planet and gain or lose energy to alter their path.
  • Commonly used for outer solar system missions, like Voyager and New Horizons.
• Heliocentric Transfer Orbit:
  • Purpose: Transfers a spacecraft from an orbit around one celestial body to an orbit around the Sun.
  • Characteristics: Typically used for missions to study the Sun or comets.
  • The spacecraft may follow a hyperbolic trajectory for solar observation missions.
• Polar Transfer Orbit:
  • Purpose: Transfers a spacecraft into a polar orbit around a celestial body.
  • Characteristics: Requires specific maneuvers to align with the desired polar orbit.
  • Used for Earth observation satellites or planetary missions requiring global coverage.
• Direct Ascent Transfer:
  • Purpose: Moves a spacecraft directly from its launch orbit to its destination without intermediate orbits.
  • Characteristics: Involves a single burn to reach the target orbit.
  • Common for missions with tight launch windows and limited fuel, like crewed lunar missions.