Sriharikota (AP) (PTI): ISRO is all set to launch India's maiden solar mission, Aditya L1, from the spaceport here on Saturday, the countdown for which was on.
Aditya-L1 is the first space-based observatory class to study the Sun and is being fired using ISRO's reliable Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) from here at 11.50 am.
The spacecraft, after traveling about 1.5 million km from the Earth over 125 days, is expected to be placed in a Halo orbit around the Lagrangian point L1 which is considered closest to the Sun.
The major objectives of the mission include understanding the Coronal Heating and Solar Wind Acceleration, the initiation of Coronal Mass Ejection, and near-earth space weather and the solar wind distribution.
The Aditya-L1 mission carries seven scientific payloads to carry out the study.
The Sun expedition comes close on the heels of ISRO's successful moon mission, Chandrayaan 3.
The 23.40 hour countdown for today's launch commenced at 12.10 pm on Friday.
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Garhwa/Hazaribag (PTI): Two persons were killed and five others injured after being allegedly run over by a truck in Jharkhand's Hazaribag district on Thursday evening, police said.
The deceased were standing near a roadside puncture repair shop in Charhi when the accident happened, they said.
The injured persons were admitted to the Sheikh Bhikhari Medical College and Hospital, they added.
"The identity of the deceased is yet to be ascertained," said a police officer.
In another accident in Garhwa, two men in their mid-20s died after being hit by a speeding tractor, police said.
The accident happened in the Mahuliya panchayat in the Garhwa police station area in the early hours, they said.
"Rahul Chaudhary (26) and Nandlal Ram (26) were standing near their motorcycle on the roadside. A speeding tractor coming from the opposite direction hit them. Rahul died on the spot, while Nandlal succumbed to the injuries while being taken to the Sadar Hospital," said a police officer.
"Immediately after the mishap, the tractor driver abandoned the vehicle and fled. The tractor has been seized, and raids are underway to apprehend the absconding driver," he said.
