After the successful landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the south pole of the Moon, the Indian Research Space Organisation is gearing up for its next mission – Aditya-L1. This solar mission marks India's first space-based observatory for studying the Sun. The launch will take place using the PSLV-C57 rocket. Unlike before, when citizens could only watch space missions online or on news channels, the launch of Aditya-L1 can be watched live from Sriharikota where ISRO is located. ISRO in its post on X (formerly known as Twitter) has shared the launch date, time, venue, and a registration link for spots at the Launch View Gallery in Sriharikota.
This presents a unique opportunity for people to witness this remarkable event up close.
When to watch the launch of Aditya-L1
As per ISRO's post, the launch of Aditya L-1 is scheduled for September 2 at 11:50 AM in Sriharikota. In their post, ISRO wrote, “The launch of Aditya-L1, the first space-based Indian observatory to study the Sun is scheduled for September 2, 2023, at 11:50 Hrs. IST from Sriharikota.”
Check out the post below:
How and where to watch the launch of Aditya-L1
You have a chance to watch the Aditya-L1 launch from the Launch View Gallery in Sriharikota. All you need to do is sign up on the Satish Dhawan Space Centre's theme park website. ISRO will soon announce the commencement of registration. The closest train station to the launch centre is Sullurpeta, about 18 km from Sriharikota. From there, you can visit the launch site through public or private transportation.
Apart from that, just like previous launches, ISRO is expected to offer a live stream of the launch on its office website, as well as its Facebook and YouTube channels.
Trajectory of Aditya-L1
A picture shared by ISRO has also described the trajectory of the L1 mission. The tweet reads, “Initially, the spacecraft will be placed in a Low Earth Orbit. Subsequently, the orbit will be made more elliptical and later the spacecraft will be launched towards the Lagrange point (L1) by using onboard propulsion.
They added, “As the spacecraft travels towards L1, it will exit the Earth's gravitational Sphere of Influence (SOI). After exit from SOI, the cruise phase will start and subsequently, the spacecraft will be injected into a large halo orbit around L1. The total travel time from launch to L1 will take about four months for Aditya-L1.”
The successful launch of Aditya-L1 will add another win to the country's growing Space exploration achievements.