After four-month journey, Aditya-L1 will measure and observe sun’s outermost layers

India’s solar observation mission has entered the sun’s orbit after a four-month journey, the latest success for the space exploration ambitions of the world’s most populous country.

The Aditya-L1 mission was launched in September and is carrying an array of instruments to measure and observe the sun’s outermost layers.

India’s science and technology minister, Jitendra Singh, said on social media that the probe had reached its final orbit “to discover the mysteries of sun-Earth connection”.

The US and the European Space Agency have sent numerous probes to the centre of the solar system, beginning with Nasa’s Pioneer programme in the 1960s. Japan and China have also launched their own solar observatory missions into Earth’s orbit.