Congress Applauds Aditya-L1 Launch, Emphasizes the Decades-Long Effort in Building a Nation’s Scientific Capacity

New Delhi, September 2, 2023 – The Congress party celebrated the launch of Aditya-L1 as a “remarkable achievement” for India and emphasized the extended timeline involved in nurturing a nation’s scientific, technological, and research capabilities.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) achieved another milestone on Saturday with the launch of India’s ambitious solar mission, Aditya L1, following the recent success of the lunar expedition, Chandrayan-3.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge expressed gratitude and indebtedness to the scientists, space engineers, researchers, and ISRO personnel for the successful launch of the Aditya-L1 Solar Observation Mission. He emphasized that this achievement reflects the collective success of the nation.

Kharge provided a historical timeline of the mission, noting that India embarked on its journey towards studying the sun in 2006 when scientists proposed a solar observatory with a single instrument for solar observation. Subsequently, ISRO selected seven payloads for the Aditya-1 mission in July 2013, which later became the Aditya-L1 mission. In November 2015, ISRO formally approved Aditya-L1.

Kharge underscored the significance of this achievement in the context of previous successes like the Chandrayaan Missions and the Mangalyaan Mission, emphasizing that India’s progress in space research and exploration exemplifies the nation’s unwavering determination and commitment. He commended the vision, ingenuity, and dedication of scientists and researchers for this historic accomplishment and emphasized that science remains integral to development, welfare, and positive change.

Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh also applauded ISRO’s achievements and highlighted the continuity in ISRO’s journey. He traced the timeline of Aditya-L1’s development from the proposal of a solar observatory concept in 2006 to ISRO’s formal approval in November 2015, emphasizing the persistence and dedication of the scientific community.

Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra praised ISRO’s successful launch of the Aditya L-1 mission, citing it as another historic achievement following the Chandrayaan-3 mission. She conveyed best wishes to the entire ISRO team and the nation.

The Congress party expressed pride in ISRO’s accomplishments and noted that the organization continues to elevate India’s reputation on the global stage. They lauded ISRO for contributing to the nation’s prestige and celebrated this unprecedented achievement of the country’s scientists.

As the 23.40-hour countdown concluded, the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), standing at 44.4 meters tall, majestically soared into the sky at the scheduled time of 11.50 am from Sriharikota, located approximately 135 km from Chennai on the Eastern coast.

According to ISRO, Aditya-L1 represents the first space-based observatory designed for studying the Sun. Following a 125-day journey covering about 1.5 million km from Earth, the spacecraft is expected to be positioned in a Halo orbit around Lagrangian point L1, which is the closest point to the Sun.