New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday congratulated the Indian Space Research Organisation and its scientists on the successful launch of the country’s first solar mission.
“Our tireless scientific efforts will continue in order to develop a better understanding of the universe for the welfare of entire humanity,” he said on ‘X’.
ISRO on Saturday launched the country’s ambitious solar mission Aditya-L1, eyeing history again after its successful lunar expedition, Chandrayaan 3, a few days ago.
As the 23.40-hour countdown concluded, the 44.4-metre-high Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) soared majestically at the prefixed time of 11.50 am from the Sriharikota spaceport, located on the eastern coast about 135 kilometres from Chennai.
“Congratulations to our scientists and engineers at @isro for the successful launch of India’s first Solar Mission, Aditya-L1,” the prime minister said.
The Congress party also hailed the launch of Aditya-L1 as a “stupendous achievement” for India, as it shared a timeline of the mission from its conceptualisation for understanding of the “continuity in the ISRO saga”.
In a post on X, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, “Today’s launch of Aditya-L1 is another stupendous achievement for ISRO and for India!”
“While saluting ISRO once again, it is worthwhile recalling the recent timeline for Aditya-L1 to understand the continuity in the ISRO saga,” he said.
Ramesh stated that in 2006 scientists with the Astronomical Society of India and the Indian Academy of Sciences proposed the concept of a solar observatory with a single instrument.
In March 2008, scientists shared the proposal with ISRO, he said.
“December 2009: ISRO approves Aditya-1 project with single instrument. April 2013: After former Chairman U. R. Rao’s major intervention ISRO issues an ‘announcement of opportunity’, calling on the scientific community for proposals for more scientific instruments (payloads),” Ramesh pointed out.
In June 2013, ISRO reviewed scientific proposals received, he said.
“July 2013: ISRO selects the seven payloads for the Aditya-1 mission by now renamed the Aditya-L1 mission. November 2015: ISRO formally approves Aditya-L1,” he said.
In a post in Hindi on X, the Congress said ISRO has given many opportunities to the country to be proud.
“After Chandrayaan-3, ISRO has again raised the nation’s prestige by successfully launching Aditya L-1,” the party said.
The entire Congress family is proud of this unprecedented achievement of the country’s scientists, it said.
