The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Aditya L1 spacecraft, which left earth orbit on Tuesday and put into a trajectory to reach Sun-Earth Lagrangian (L1), may require Trajectory Correction Manoeuvre (TCM), reported the Indian Express daily.
As per the publication, the TCM will be performed in the coming days because of anomalies that may have crept into the early trajectory.
TCM is usual, and part of all deep space missions are usually conducted after or before a rocket reaches an important milestone of its mission (for example, after setting a trajectory towards another planet or before going into its sphere of influence).
In the case of Aditya L1, spacecraft have to travel long distances after insertion into trajectories that carry the spacecraft to a desired orbit around the moon, Mars, and the L1 point, which is 1.5 million km en route to the Sun.
Meanwhile, the Indian space agency is waiting for data to arrive at ground stations to determine the timing and amount of trajectory correction that will be required.
The Aditya L1 spacecraft was put into a trajectory to reach the Sun-Earth Lagrangian (L1) point Tuesday.
U R Rao Satellite Centre Director M. Sankaran told the publication that TCM will be performed. “We have to decide when it will be done after the assessment of information after 48 hours,” he added.
ISRO’s ground stations at Mauritius, India’s Bengaluru, and Port Blair reportedly tracked the satellite during the maneuver.