Indian space program tryst with the red planet created history
today by putting India on the world map of space exploration and becoming the
first to have a successful Mars mission on debut. India is only the forth
country in the world to put a satellite into Martian orbit ahead of China &
Japan.
Indian Space Research Organization or ISRO’s fast tracked Mars
spacecraft was made in just 15 months at a cost of just Rs 450 crores ($67
million) making it perhaps the cheapest deep space mission ever. MAVEN – Mars Atmosphere
and Volatile Evolution probe from the US which too successfully entered Martian
orbit of 21 September 2014 is made at a whopping cost of $670 million.
Mangalyaan 300 day marathon covering 670 million kilometres cost
about Rs 4 per person in India paving the way for faster, cheaper &
possibly durable inter-planetary missions.
The Hollywood sci-fi blockbuster Gravity cost more than India’s
maiden deep space probe Mangalyaan to give an idea on the enormity of the
achievement achieved by the 1350 kilogram unmanned robotic satellite. Both
America & Russian space agencies did not succeed with their maiden attempts
to reach Mars making India the first country in the world to do so on its own
steam in the first attempt.
India's Mars Mission Cost $67 million compared to MAVEN at $670 million
In 54 years with as many missions launched to the red planet
only 21 have successfully made it to the Martian orbit. Mars Orbiter Mission or
“MOM” will morph truly significant scientific missions while orbiting the
Martian orbit using some sophisticated equipments and will probe to answer one
of the most tantalising questions whether we are indeed alone in the Universe
or not. The Mars Colour Camera (MCC) which is also revered as the “eye of the
mission” will capture images & information about the surface features and composition
of the Martian surface.
Here’s a first image captured by Mars Colour Camera (MCC) on-board #Mangalyaan released by @ISRO.
Tweet This!
Mangalyaan was hoisted using the Polar Satellite Launch
Vehicle or PSLV on its 24th consecutively successful mission on 03 November
2013 from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.
Here is the chronology of events that traces the journey of
Mangalyaan which lasted over 300 days:
Nov 5, 2013: ISRO's PSLV C25 launches India's Mars Orbiter
Mission from Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.
Nov 7, 2013: First Earth-bound manoeuvre performed.
Nov 8, 2013: Second Earth-bound manoeuvre performed.
Nov 9, 2013: Third Earth-bound manoeuvre performed.
Nov 11, 2013: Fourth Earth-bound manoeuvre performed.
Nov 12, 2013: Fifth Earth-bound manoeuvre performed.
Nov 16, 2013: Sixth Earth-bound manoeuvre performed.
Dec 1, 2013: MOM leaves Earth's orbit, Trans-Mars Injection
performed.
Dec 4, 2013: MOM leaves Earth's Sphere of Influence of 9.25
lakh km radius.
Dec 11, 2013: First course correction manoeuvre performed on
the spacecraft.
Jun 11, 2014: Second course correction manoeuvre executed.
Sep 22, 2014: MOM enters Mars' Gravitational Sphere of
Influence; 440 Newton Liquid Apogee Motor test fired after over 300 days of
dormancy; last trajectory correction manoeuvre performed.
Sep 24, 2014: MOM reaches the intended orbit around Mars,
making India the first country in the world to have successfully launched its
mission to the Red Planet on the very first attempt.
No comments:
Post a Comment