The Aditya-L1 spacecraft takes about four months (approximately 127 to 130 days) to travel from Earth to the Sun-Earth Lagrange Point 1 (L1), which is about 1.5 million kilometers from Earth in the direction of the Sun
. It does not travel directly to the Sun itself but rather to this stable point where it can continuously observe the Sun without interruption. After launch on September 2, 2023, Aditya-L1 spent about 16 days in Earth-bound orbits performing maneuvers, then began its cruise phase toward L1, taking around 110 days to reach and enter its halo orbit around L1 in early January 2024
. Once at L1, the spacecraft orbits this point in a complex three-dimensional halo orbit, taking 178 days to complete one revolution around L1
. It remains there to study the Sun continuously, benefiting from the gravitational balance between Earth and Sun. In summary:
- Travel time from Earth to L1: about 4 months (~127-130 days)
- Distance to L1: ~1.5 million km from Earth
- Orbit period around L1: 178 days per halo orbit
Aditya-L1 will not reach the Sun's surface but will maintain a stable position at L1 to observe solar phenomena continuously
