Bangalore: The countdown has begun for Indian Space Research Organization’s (ISRO) Mission Mars and the spacecraft named Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) will be launched at 2:38 pm on Tuesday from Sriharikota spaceport. It will then begin a 9-month long journey towards the red planet and enter the Martian orbit in September 2014. If the Rs 450 crore MOM mission turns out to be a success, ISRO would be the fourth space agency in the world to have sent a mission to Mars. European Space Agency (ESA) of European consortium, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of the US and Roscommon of Russia are the only three agencies which have so far sent their missions to the red planet.
Only 21 of the total of 51 missions sent to Mars by various countries have been successful. ALSO SEE Mission Mars will lead to more exploratory missions A passion for pushing science to its limits and immense patience is the driving force behind the Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM). The scientists know that one minute error on launch day could blow Rs 450 crore and 18 months of effort into pieces. ISRO Chairman K Radhakrishnan said, “Life on earth has a connection with Mars, so what we are trying to find are the traces of life that existed on Mars at some point of time. But first and foremost what we are trying to do is reach there.” ALSO SEE Over 8,000 Indians register for project Mars One The 44.4 metre tall rocket has been mounted on the pedestal of the First Launch Pad at the spaceport, covered by a 76 metre tall Mobile Service Tower, designed to withstand a wind speed of 230 km per hour, in case of a cyclone. It will be removed as the countdown comes closer to the launch. The rocket is expected to take over 40 minutes to inject the satellite on Earth’s orbit after takeoff.
Once launched the satellite is expected to go around Earth for 20-25 days before embarking on a nine-month voyage to the red planet on December 1 and reach the orbit of Mars on September 24, 2014. ALSO SEE India’s Mars mission: The debate of why now and why not the mission carries on board five instruments to conduct experiments. Two instruments on the Orbiter will take 360 degree pictures of the Martian surface and look for minerals. One instrument will study the Mars atmosphere; another will map just how much water, if any, is present. Fifth instrument will check for the presence of methane which could indicate if life ever existed on Mars. ISRO is also hoping to make discoveries that previous Mars missions may have missed. Dr M Annadurai, Programmed Director, ISRO said, “Chandrayaan has shown even if it was the 69-70th mission and subsequent mission had confirmed the discovery of water molecules on surface of moon. This mission will alSo make discoveries.
Using our bio-science instruments, discoveries are possible.” ISRO has taken just 18 months in building its rocket, its space craft, instruments and readying its tracking system at Byalalu near Bangalore. K Radhakrishnan said, “If you look at space faring nations, they have been putting target by about 2030-2040, we need to human habitat on Mars. It’s a very complex process, challenging process. It’s a dream. There is fantasy, dream and reality.” Across the world, only five other space agencies have been able to send up missions to Mars and about half of the 45-odd mission sent up has failed to even reach Mars. When the Mars rocket takes off, it will carry not just a spacecraft, but the quest of India’s entire space community about the enigma that is Mars.
Bureau Report
Leave a Reply