Indian Kiss to Mars, Flying with India

India’s first major step into satellite-technology was the launch of Aryabhata on 19 April 1975, although it was in collaboration with Russia. Since then we have swooped remarkably towards space. Indian Kiss to Mars Flying  with India means the successful launch of Mars Orbiter Mission MOM (Mangalyan) is a milestone in India’s journey to astronomy, a division of Space-Science. MOM (1350kg) was launched on 5 November 2013 using a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV C-25) from Satish Dhawan Space Centre Shriharikota. It has embraced mars orbit on 24 September 2014, journeying almost 680 million kilometers in 323 days. MOM spent several weeks in Earth orbit to adjudge its preplanned insertion into mars orbit.

Principally MOM aims to develop technologies required for design, planning, management and operations of an interplanetary mission and to explore Mars’ surface features, Morphology, Mineralogy and Martian atmosphere using indigenous scientific instruments. It will scan Mars’ atmosphere for methane, a chemical strongly tied to life on earth. It is India’s first interplanetary mission, conferring Indian fourth seat in the queue Mars-Masters following Russia, US and European Space Agency. Presently the spacecraft is being monitored from Spacecraft Control Centre at ISRO Telemetry, Tracking, and Command Network in Bangalore with support from Indian Deep Space Network antennae at Byalalu. Well it is interesting coincidence that NASA’s MAVEN, a space-probe designed for same purpose as that of MOM, entered into Mars orbit two days prior to MOM. Surprisingly our satellite costs US$25 million that is one-tenth of NASA’s Mars mission MAVEN’s budget.



 

“I have said it in the past too, the amount our scientists have spent on this mission is less than what they spend in making Hollywood movies”, remarked by K. Radhakrishnan Chairman of ISRO addressing to mission scientists. With this outstanding achievement India has become first country to hug mars-territory in very first attempt. America and Russia succeeded but after several attempts. China and Japan made onerous efforts in this direction but failed. The rate of failure in this game is high. Only 21 out of 51 missions sent to Mars by various countries were successful. Today ISRO has become headlines of world’s leading newspaper, magazines. Chiefly compared to NASA’s MAVEN, MOM has totally outplayed MAVEN in all contexts whether in respect of cost or time taken in manufacturing it.



Team ISRO deserves a salutation not only from 121 crore Indians but also from other Space-Agencies. The success of MOM is a stimulus. Although we have attained a glorious victory in the future history of Mars-study yet we need to work harder in other spheres of Space-Science that will enable India to seek technical mechanism to redress out burning issues and it will inspire the young scientists and remaining intelligentsia of the country.

Image Source - ISRO