India moves to launch 1st solar mission

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is planning to launch the first solar mission satellite, Aditya-L1, this month, local media reported on Wednesday.

It will be the first space-based Indian mission to study the Sun.

The satellite will carry seven instruments to study the solar atmosphere, solar magnetic storms, and their impact on the environment around Earth," the report said.

The spacecraft will take around 109 Earth days after the launch to reach the halo orbit around Lagrange point 1 (L1) of the Sun-Earth system, which is about 1.5 million kilometres from the Earth.

It will enable it to continuously view the Sun without any occultation or eclipses.