List of objects at Lagrange points

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Template:Short description Script error: No such module "Hatnote". This is a list of known objects which occupy, have occupied, or are planned to occupy any of the five Lagrange points of two-body systems in space.

File:Lagrange very massive.svg
A diagram showing the five Lagrange points in a two-body system

Sun–Earth Lagrange points

Sun–Earth L1

Template:L1 is the Lagrange point located approximately 1.5 million kilometers from Earth towards the Sun.

Past probes

  • International Cometary Explorer, formerly the International Sun–Earth Explorer 3 (ISEE-3), diverted out of Template:L1 in 1983 for a comet rendezvous mission. Currently in heliocentric orbit. The Sun–Earth L1 is also the point to which the Reboot ISEE-3 mission was attempting to return the craft as the first phase of a recovery mission (as of September 25, 2014 all efforts have failed and contact was lost).[1]
  • NASA's Genesis probe collected solar wind samples at Template:L1 from December 3, 2001, to April 1, 2004, when it returned the sample capsule to Earth. It returned briefly in late 2004 before being pushed into heliocentric orbit in early 2005.
  • LISA Pathfinder (LPF) was launched on 3 December 2015, and arrived at Template:L1 on 22 January 2016, where, among other experiments, it tested the technology needed by (e)LISA to detect gravitational waves. LISA Pathfinder used an instrument consisting of two small gold alloy cubes.
  • The Chang'e 5 orbiter[2] (during extended mission. After ferrying lunar samples back to Earth in 2020, the transport module was sent to Template:L1 where it is permanently stationed to conduct limited Earth-Sun observations.)

Present probes

File:Animation of Deep Space Climate Observatory trajectory.gif
Animation of Deep Space Climate ObservatoryTemplate:'s trajectory from 11 February 2015 to 3 January 2017
Template:Legend2Template:·Template:Legend2Template:·Template:Legend2
  • The Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR), designed to image the sunlit Earth in 10 wavelengths (EPIC) and monitor total reflected radiation (NISTAR). Launched on 11 February 2015, began orbiting L1 on 8 June 2015 to study the solar wind and its effects on Earth.[3] DSCOVR is unofficially known as GORESAT, because it carries a camera always oriented to Earth and capturing full-frame photos of the planet similar to the Blue Marble. This concept was proposed by then-Vice President of the United States Al Gore in 1998[4] and was a centerpiece in his 2006 film An Inconvenient Truth.[5]
  • Aditya-L1 was successfully launched on 2 September 2023 and entered the halo orbit around the lagrange point on 6 January 2024.[6] It's a Solar observation mission by ISRO. It will study solar atmosphere, solar magnetic storms, and their impact on the environment around the Earth.[7]

Planned probes

Sun–Earth L2

Script error: No such module "anchor".Template:L2 is the Lagrange point located approximately 1.5 million kilometers from Earth in the direction opposite the Sun. Spacecraft at the Sun–Earth L2 point are in a Lissajous orbit until decommissioned, when they are sent into a heliocentric graveyard orbit.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".

Past probes

File:Animation of Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe trajectory.gif
Animation of Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy ProbeTemplate:'s trajectory from 1 July 2001 to 7 April 2009
Template:Legend2Template:·Template:Legend2
  • 2001 – 2010: NASA's Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP)[8] observed the cosmic microwave background. It was moved to a heliocentric orbit to avoid posing a hazard to future missions.
  • 2003 – 2004: NASA's WIND. The spacecraft then went to Earth orbit, before heading to Template:L1.[9]
  • 2009 – 2013:[10] The ESA Herschel Space Observatory exhausted its supply of liquid helium and was moved from the Lagrangian point in June 2013.
  • 2009 – 2013: At the end of its mission ESA's Planck spacecraft was put into a heliocentric orbit and passivated to prevent it from endangering any future missions.
  • 2011 – 2012: CNSA's Chang'e 2.[11][12] Chang'e 2 was then placed onto a heliocentric orbit that took it past the near-Earth asteroid 4179 Toutatis.
  • The CNSA Chang'e 6 orbiter
  • 2013 – 2025: The ESA Gaia mission’s thrusters moved the spacecraft away from L2 on 27 March 2025 and into a stable retirement orbit around the Sun that will minimise the chance that it comes within 10 million km Earth for at least the next century.

Present probes

File:The orbits of Gaia and Webb ESA23998736.png
Gaia and James Webb Space Telescope orbit around Sun-Earth Template:L2

Planned probes

Cancelled probes

Sun–Earth L3

Template:L3 is the Sun–Earth Lagrange point located on the side of the Sun opposite Earth, slightly outside the Earth's orbit. Direct communication with spacecraft in this position is blocked by the Sun.

Sun–Earth L4

Template:L4 is the Sun–Earth Lagrange point located close to the Earth's orbit 60° ahead of Earth.

  • Asteroid Template:Mpl is the first discovered tadpole orbit companion to Earth, orbiting Template:L4; like Earth, its mean distance to the Sun is about one astronomical unit.
  • Asteroid Template:Mpl is the second Earth trojan, confirmed in November 2021, oscillating around Template:L4 in a tadpole orbit and expected to remain there for at least 4000 years, until destabilized by Venus.[13]
  • STEREO A (Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory – Ahead) made its closest pass to Template:L4 in September 2009, on its orbit around the Sun, slightly faster than Earth.[14]
  • OSIRIS-REx passed near the L4 point and performed a survey for asteroids between 9 and 20 February 2017.

Sun–Earth L5

Template:L5, or Earth-trailing orbit, is the Sun–Earth Lagrange point located close to the Earth's orbit 60° behind Earth.

Proposed

  • Vigil (ESA). One spacecraft in L5.

Earth–Moon Lagrange points

Earth–Moon L2

Earth–Moon L4 and L5

Past probes

  • Hiten was the first spacecraft to demonstrate a low energy trajectory, passing by Template:L4 and Template:L5 to achieve lunar orbit at a very low fuel expense, compared to usual orbital techniques. Hiten did not find any conclusive increase in dust density at Lagrange points.[19]

Proposed objects

Sun–Venus Lagrange points

L4

Sun–Mars Lagrange points

Asteroids in the Template:L4 and Template:L5 Sun–Mars Lagrangian points are sometimes called Mars trojans, with a lower-case t, as "Trojan asteroid" was originally defined as a term for Lagrangian asteroids of Jupiter. They may also be called Mars Lagrangian asteroids.

L4

L5

Source: Minor Planet Center [1]

Sun–Ceres Lagrange points

Sun–Jupiter Lagrange points

Asteroids in the Template:L4 and Template:L5 Sun–Jupiter Lagrangian points are known as Jupiter Trojan asteroids or simply Trojan asteroids.

L4

L5

L4 and L5

Saturn–Tethys Lagrange points

L4

L5

Saturn–Dione Lagrange points

L4

L5

Sun–Uranus Lagrange points

L3

L4

Sun–Neptune Lagrange points

Minor planets in the Template:L4 and Template:L5 Sun–Neptune Lagrangian points are called Neptune trojans, with a lower-case t, as "Trojan asteroid" was originally defined as a term for Lagrangian asteroids of Jupiter.

Data from: Minor Planet Center [2]

L4

L5

Tables of missions

Color key:
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Lagrangian point missions
Mission Lagrangian point Agency Description
International Sun–Earth Explorer 3 (ISEE-3) Sun–Earth Template:L1 NASA Launched in 1978, it was the first spacecraft to be put into orbit around a libration point, where it operated for four years in a halo orbit about the Template:L1 Sun–Earth point. After the original mission ended, it was commanded to leave Template:L1 in September 1982 in order to investigate comets and the Sun.[21] Now in a heliocentric orbit, an unsuccessful attempt to return to halo orbit was made in 2014 when it made a flyby of the Earth–Moon system.[22][23]
Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) Sun–Earth Template:L1 NASA Launched 1997. Has fuel to orbit near L1 until 2024. Operational Template:As of.[24]
Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) Sun–Earth Template:L1 NASA Launched on 11 February 2015. Planned successor of the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) satellite.
LISA Pathfinder (LPF) Sun–Earth Template:L1 ESA, NASA Launched one day behind revised schedule (planned for the 100th anniversary of the publication of Einstein's General Theory of Relativity), on 3 December 2015. Arrived at L1 on 22 January 2016.[25] LISA Pathfinder was deactivated on 30 June 2017.[26]
Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) Sun–Earth Template:L1 ESA, NASA Orbiting near L1 since 1996. Operational Template:As of.[27]
WIND Sun–Earth Template:L1 NASA Arrived at L1 in 2004 with fuel for 60 years. Operational Template:As of.[28]
Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) Sun–Earth Template:L2 NASA Arrived at L2 in 2001. Mission ended 2010,[29] then sent to solar orbit outside L2.[30]
Herschel Space Telescope Sun–Earth Template:L2 ESA Arrived at L2 July 2009. Ceased operation on 29 April 2013; will be moved to a heliocentric orbit.[31][32]
Planck Space Observatory Sun–Earth Template:L2 ESA Arrived at L2 July 2009. Mission ended on 23 October 2013; Planck has been moved to a heliocentric parking orbit.[33]
Chang'e 2 Sun–Earth Template:L2 CNSA Arrived in August 2011 after completing a lunar mission before departing en route to asteroid 4179 Toutatis in April 2012.[12]
ARTEMIS mission extension of THEMIS Earth–Moon Template:L1 and Template:L2 NASA Mission consists of two spacecraft, which were the first spacecraft to reach Earth–Moon Lagrangian points. Both moved through Earth–Moon Lagrangian points, and are now in lunar orbit.[34][35]
WIND Sun–Earth Template:L2 NASA Arrived at L2 in November 2003 and departed April 2004.
Gaia Space Observatory Sun–Earth Template:L2 ESA Launched 19 December 2013.[36] Operational Template:As of.[37]
Chang'e 5-T1 Service Module Earth–Moon Template:L2 CNSA Launched on 23 October 2014, arrived at L2 halo orbit on 13 January 2015.[2]
Queqiao Earth–Moon Template:L2 CNSA Launched on 21 May 2018, arrived at L2 halo orbit on June 14 for Chang'e 4 mission.[38] Queqiao is the first ever communication relay and radio astronomy satellite at operating its location.[39]
Spektr-RG Sun–Earth Template:L2 IKI RAN
DLR		 Launched 13 July 2019. Roentgen and Gamma space observatory. Operational as of June 2020.[40]
Chang'e 5 Service Module Sun–Earth Template:L1 CNSA Launched on 23 November 2020, arrived at L1 halo orbit on 15 March 2021.
James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Sun–Earth Template:L2 NASA, ESA, CSA Launched on 25 December 2021, arrived at L2 point on 24 January 2022. Operational as of 2022.[41]
Euclid Sun–Earth Template:L2 ESA, NASA Launched on 1 July 2023, arrived at L2 point on 28 July 2023. Currently in testing phase as of September 2023.[42]
Aditya-L1 Sun–Earth Template:L1 ISRO Launched on 2 September 2023[43] and was successfully inserted into an orbit about Sun-Earth L1 point on 6 January 2024.[44]
Chang'e 6 Service Module Sun–Earth Template:L2 CNSA Launched on 3 May 2024, arrived at L2 halo orbit on 9 September 2024.

Future and proposed missions

Template:Sticky header

Template:Sronly
Mission Lagrangian point Agency Description
"Lunar Far-Side Communication Satellites" Earth–Moon Template:L2 NASA Proposed in 1968 for communications on the far side of the Moon during the Apollo program,
mainly to enable an Apollo landing on the far side—neither the satellites nor the landing were ever realized.[45]
Space colonization and manufacturing Earth–Moon Template:L4 or Template:L5 — First proposed in 1974 by Gerard K. O'Neill[46] and subsequently advocated by the L5 Society.
EQUULEUS Earth–Moon Template:L2 University of Tokyo, JAXA 6U CubeSat, launch planned in 2021 as a secondary payload onboard SLS Artemis 1.[47]
DESTINY+ Earth–Moon Template:L2 JAXA JAXA "Medium-Sized Focused Mission"; launch planned for 2025.[48]
Exploration Gateway Platform Earth–Moon Template:L2[49] NASA Proposed in 2011.[50]
Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope (WFIRST) Sun–Earth Template:L2 NASA, USDOE Launch planned for 2026.[51]
LiteBIRD Sun–Earth Template:L2[52] JAXA, NASA JAXA's next "Strategic Large Mission"; launch planned for 2032.[53][54]
Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) Sun–Earth Template:L1 NASA Planned for launch in early 2025.
Space Weather Follow On - Lagrange 1 (SWFO-L1) Sun–Earth Template:L1 NOAA Planned for launch in early 2025 as a rideshare to IMAP.
Planetary Transits and Oscillations of stars (PLATO) Sun–Earth Template:L2 ESA Planned for launch in 2026 for an initial six-year mission.[55]
Space Infrared Telescope for Cosmology
and Astrophysics (SPICA) 		Sun–Earth Template:L2 JAXA, ESA, SRON Template:As of, awaiting approval from both Japanese and European side, launch proposed for 2032.[56]
Advanced Telescope for High Energy Astrophysics
(ATHENA) 		Sun–Earth Template:L2 ESA Launch planned for 2035.[57]
ESA Vigil Sun–Earth Template:L5 ESA Observatory for early warning of increased solar activity. Launch planned for 2029.
Sun Chaser[58] Sun–Earth Template:L4 — Observatory for early warning of solar particle events. Early proposal phase.
Spektr-M Sun–Earth Template:L2 Roscosmos Possible launch after 2030.[59]

See also

Footnotes

Template:Reflist

Template:Planetary exploration Template:Space exploration lists and timelines Template:Portal bar

  1. ↑ "ISEE-3 is in Safe Mode". Space College. 25 September 2014. "The ground stations listening to ISEE-3 have not been able to obtain a signal since Tuesday the 16th"
  2. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  3. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  4. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  5. ↑ Mellow, Craig (August 2014). "Al Gore's Satellite". Air & Space/Smithsonian. Retrieved December 12, 2014.
  6. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  7. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  8. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  9. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  10. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  11. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  12. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  13. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
  14. ↑ a b NASA - Join STEREO and Explore Gravitational "Parking Lots" That May Hold Secret of Moon's Origin
  15. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  16. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
  17. ↑ Template:Cite magazine
  18. ↑ Template:Cite magazine
  19. ↑ "Hiten", NSSDC.GSFC.NASA.gov.
  20. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
  21. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  22. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  23. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  24. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  25. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  26. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  27. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  28. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  29. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  30. ↑ http://map.gsfc.nasa.gov/news/events.html WMAP Ceases Communications
  31. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  32. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  33. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  34. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  35. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  36. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  37. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  38. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  39. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  40. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  41. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  42. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  43. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  44. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  45. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  46. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
  47. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  48. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  49. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  50. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  51. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  52. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  53. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  54. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  55. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  56. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  57. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  58. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  59. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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