The Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM), also known as Mangalyaan, was a space probe launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
MOM was launched on November 5, 2013, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, India, and entered Mars orbit on September 24, 2014.
The Mangalyaan mission is an important milestone for ISRO, as it is the first time that India has sent a spacecraft to another planet. It has also helped to increase the country’s international standing in the field of space exploration.
What is Mars Orbiter Mission?
It was India’s first interplanetary mission and the country’s first spacecraft to reach the planet Mars. The primary objective of the mission was to demonstrate India’s technological capabilities in interplanetary exploration and to study the Martian surface and atmosphere.
It carried a payload of five scientific instruments to study the Martian surface, atmosphere, and mineralogy, as well as search for evidence of methane and other trace gases. The mission was a success and completed all its objectives, making India the first Asian country to reach Mars and the first nation in the world to do so on its first attempt.
Objectives of the Mission
The primary objective of the mission was to demonstrate India’s capability to design, plan, and execute a complex interplanetary mission. Specifically, the mission aimed to:
- Place an orbiter around Mars to study the planet’s surface features, atmosphere, and mineralogy.
- Search for signs of past or present life on Mars, including the possibility of water.
- Test the performance of key technologies that would be required for future manned missions to Mars, such as autonomous navigation, propulsion, and communication.
- Gain international recognition for India’s space program and encourage more international collaboration in space exploration.
Overall, the Mangalyaan mission was a major milestone for India’s space program, as it was the country’s first mission to another planet and one of the few successful Mars missions in history.
Mars Orbiter Mission- Launch Vehicle and LaunchPad
The Mangalyaan spacecraft was launched aboard a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota, India. The PSLV is a four-stage launch vehicle with solid and liquid propulsion stages. It is capable of launching satellites into a variety of orbits, including polar and geostationary orbits.
The SDSC, also known as the Sriharikota Range (SHAR), is a rocket launching station operated by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). It is located on the island of Sriharikota, about 80 km north of Chennai, India. The centre has two launch pads, designated as the First Launch Pad (FLP) and the Second Launch Pad (SLP). The Mangalyaan mission was launched from the FLP.
- Mars Orbiter Mission was launched with the help of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) C-25.
- PSLV C-25 is an XL version of the PSLV launch vehicle.
- This mission was launched from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, located in Nellore District of Andhra Pradesh.
- This mission was launched by ISRO on November 5, 2013.
The Mangalyaan mission carried 5 different scientific payloads which are listed below
- Mars Color Camera (MCC)
- Methane Sensor for Mars (MSM)
- Lymanย Alpha Photometer (LAP)
- Thermal Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (TIS)
- Mars Exospheric Neutral Composition Analyser (MENCA)
Mars Mission- Challenges
There are many challenges that space agencies and scientists must overcome in order to successfully send a mission to Mars and achieve its objectives. Some of the main challenges of Mars missions include:
- Distance: Mars is much farther away from Earth than the Moon, so it takes longer to get there and requires more fuel.
- Communication: The distance between Earth and Mars means that it takes time for signals to be transmitted between the two planets, which can make communication and data transmission difficult.
- Propelling the spacecraft with sufficient velocity to escape Earthโs gravitational grasp, guiding it along the proper trajectory over vast distances, and then slowing it down sufficiently to goย into orbit around the planet MARS.
- The spacecraft had to be capable of operating autonomously as communication signals to and from ground stations could take minutes to reach it.
- Since 1960, there have been 51 global missions to Mars and the overall success rate stands at 42% which shows that it was quite a difficult mission.
- Time: Mars missions typically take several months to complete, so spacecraft and their instruments must be able to function for long periods of time without maintenance or repair.
- Autonomy: Because of the distance between Earth and Mars, it is not possible for mission controllers to directly control the spacecraft in real time. Instead, the spacecraft must be able to make decisions and take actions on its own using onboard computers and software.
- Environmental conditions: Mars has a thin atmosphere, low air pressure, extreme temperature variations, and high levels of radiation, which can all be challenging for spacecraft and their instruments to survive.
- Landings: Landing a spacecraft on the surface of Mars is particularly challenging because the planet has a thin atmosphere, which makes it difficult to slow down the spacecraft and achieve a soft landing.
- Human factors: Sending humans to Mars would pose additional challenges, such as the need to provide them with a habitable habitat, life support systems, and other resources they would need to survive on the planet.
Despite these challenges, the Mangalyaan mission was successfully launched and achieved its objectives, making it an important milestone for ISRO and India’s space program.
Also, read Space debris.
Mars Orbiter Mission – Achievements
Some of the key achievements of the Mangalyaan mission include:
- Demonstrating India’s capabilities in space technology: The Mangalyaan mission was the first time that India had sent a spacecraft to another planet, and its success has helped to increase the country’s international standing in the field of space exploration.
- Studying the surface and atmosphere of Mars: The Mangalyaan spacecraft has been collecting data on the surface features and mineralogy of Mars, as well as the atmospheric processes and trace gases on the planet. This data will help scientists to better understand the geological and climatological history of Mars.
- Studying the surface radiation environment on Mars: The Mangalyaan spacecraft has also been studying the surface radiation environment on Mars, which will help scientists to understand the effects of radiation on the planet’s surface and atmosphere.
- Studying the interplanetary medium and the solar wind-Mars interaction: The Mangalyaan spacecraft has been studying the interaction between the solar wind and the Martian atmosphere, which will help scientists to understand the processes that shape the Martian environment.
- Providing valuable data for future missions: The data collected by the Mangalyaan spacecraft will be used to inform the design and planning of future Mars missions, including both unmanned and manned missions.
- India is the 1st country in the world to achieve Mars Orbit Insertion in the very 1st attempt. The cost of this mission was $ 74 million, it cost less than a famous Hollywood movie named Gravity.
- MOM is the cheapest Interplanetary Space Mission in the World.
- It is the 1st Indian spacecraft to survive the Van Allen Belt, by crossing it 39 times.
Overall, the Mangalyaan mission has been a successful and important step in the exploration of Mars and the understanding of the planet’s environment and history.
What is the need to explore Mars?
There are many scientific and technological reasons why humans are interested in exploring Mars. Some of the main reasons include:
- Understanding the history and evolution of the solar system: Mars is considered to be a “sister planet” to Earth, and studying it can help scientists to understand the early history and evolution of the solar system as a whole.
- Searching for signs of past or present life: Mars may have once had conditions that were suitable for life, and there is evidence that liquid water may still exist on or below the surface of the planet. Studying Mars could help scientists to understand the conditions that are necessary for life to arise and evolve, and to search for signs of past or present life on the planet.
- Developing new technologies: The challenges of exploring Mars, such as the distance from Earth and the extreme environmental conditions on the planet, requires the development of new technologies and systems for space exploration. These technologies can have many practical applications here on Earth, such as in the fields of medicine, energy, and transportation.
- Inspiring the public: Space exploration has the ability to capture the imagination of the public and inspire people to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and math.
- Establishing a human presence beyond Earth: Some people believe that it is important for humanity to establish a permanent presence beyond Earth in order to ensure the survival and prosperity of our species over the long term. Exploring and potentially colonizing Mars could be an important step in this direction.
Why this Mars mission is important for India and the world?
Some of the reasons why this mission is important to include:
- Demonstrating India’s capabilities in space technology: The Mangalyaan mission was the first time that India had sent a spacecraft to another planet, and its success has helped to increase the country’s international standing in the field of space exploration.
- Providing valuable scientific data: The Mangalyaan spacecraft has been collecting data on the surface and atmosphere of Mars, as well as the surface radiation environment and the interaction between the solar wind and the Martian atmosphere. This data will be used to inform the design and planning of future Mars missions, including both unmanned and manned missions.
- Mars experiences seasons just like Earth, so exploring Mars will help answer important questions about the development of our solar system and our place in the cosmos.
- The investigations will aid in understanding why and how Mars lost liquid water. For humans to survive on Earth in the long run, this is a crucial question.
- We might learn more about the existence of microbial life on Mars as a result of exploring it. Days on Mars last 24 hours. The tilt that causes the seasons, as well as the rotational period and seasonal cycles, are all similar to those of Earth.
- Promoting international cooperation: The Mangalyaan mission has involved collaboration between scientists and engineers from around the world and has helped to strengthen ties between India and other countries in the field of space exploration.
- Mars is a terrestrial planet with a small atmosphere that shares similarities with Earth’s volcanoes, valleys, deserts, and polar ice caps as well as the Moon’s impact craters.
- Venus is 900 degrees Fahrenheit and would melt or vaporise the majority of objects you sent to its surface due to a runaway greenhouse effect. Due to its proximity to the Sun, Mercury is also very hot. Mars, therefore, appears perfect when compared to the nearby terrestrial planets, despite the difficulties.
- Inspiring the public: The success of the Mangalyaan mission has captured the imagination of the public and has inspired people, particularly young people, to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and math.
Overall, the Mangalyaan mission has been an important achievement for India and the world and has contributed to our understanding of Mars and the solar system as a whole.
Article written by: Remya
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