News World-News

India successfully launches its first mission to the Sun

India successfully launches its first mission to the Sun
[Photo: BBC News]

India has launched its first observation mission to the Sun, just days after the country made history by becoming the first to land near the Moon's south pole.

Aditya-L1 lifted off from the launch pad at Sriharikota yesterday.

It will travel 1.5million km (932,000 miles) from the Earth and India's space agency says it will take four months to travel that far.

India's first space-based mission to study the solar system's biggest object is named after Surya - the Hindu god of Sun who is also known as Aditya.

And L1 stands for Lagrange point 1 - the exact place between Sun and Earth where the Indian spacecraft is heading.

According to the European Space Agency, a Lagrange point is a spot where the gravitational forces of two large objects - such as the Sun and the Earth - cancel each other out, allowing a spacecraft to "hover".

Once Aditya-L1 reaches this "parking spot", it would be able to orbit the Sun at the same rate as the Earth. This also means the satellite will require very little fuel to operate.

BBC

Stay tuned for the latest news on our radio stations

CFL radio frequencies
Scoreboard
Full Time
Dolphins 20–36 Roosters
Full Time
Panthers 14–22 Knights
3:00PM
Malolo vs Tailevu
3:00PM
Nadi vs Naitasiri
3:00pm
Taveuni vs Suva
11:00AM
Tailevu vs Namosi
11:00AM
Naitasiri vs Nadi
12:00PM
Macuata vs Suva
11.30pm
Arsenal vs Leeds
2:00am
Aston Villa vs Brentford
2:00am
Ipswich vs Fullham
Full Time
Fiji 2– Papua New Guinea