MARS ORBITER MISSION

The workhorse launcher of Indian space Research Organisation ISRO , the Polar satellite launch vehicle launched the spacecraft for the organisations maiden mission to mars in its updated and extended configuration PSLC-XL. It is the Indias first indigenous interplanetary mars mission with an orbiter craft designed to orbit Mars in an elliptical orbit.It is informally known as Mangalyaan mission. In Sanskrit it is known as mars craft. The Mars orbiter Mission probe was lifted off from the first launch pad at sriharikota Andhrapradesh . PSLV-C25 launched this Mars orbiter mission which was earlier used to launch Chandrayaan-1 and other satellites also. India is the first Asian country to lauch the mission and fourth in the world after the Soviet Union,the U.S and Europe. The mission is primarily technological mission considering the critical mission operations and stringent requirements on propulsion and other bus systems of spacecraft.

Launch Vehicle : PSLV C 25

Launch site & date : SHAR centre sriharikota, Andhrapradesh November 5th 2013

Total project cost : 454 crores

Thermal system: passive thermal control system

Lift off mass : 1337 kg

Mechanism: solar panel drive mechanism, reflector & solar panel deployment

Propulsion : Bi propellant system



Mission objectives
* Accordingly, the main stated objectives of the mission are to develop the technologies required for design, planning, management and operations of an interplanetary mission, including:

* Orbit manoeuvres to transfer the spacecraft from an earth-bound orbit into a heliocentric trajectory and finally enable its capture into a Martian orbit;

* Development of force models and algorithms for orbit and attitude computations and analyses;

* Deep-space communication and navigation in all phases;

* Maintaining the spacecraft in all phases of the mission by meeting power, communications, thermal and payload operation requirements; and,

* Incorporation of autonomous features to handle contingency situations.
Scientific Objectives:

* Exploration of the Martian surface by studying its features , morphology, topography and mineralogy and the Martian atmosphere (constituents such as methane and carbon dioxide) using indigenous scientific instruments; and

* Study of the dynamics of the upper atmosphere of Mars, effects of solar wind and radiation and the escape of volatiles to space.
Launching Vehicle PSLV C25
PSLV-C25, twenty fifth flight of PSLV launched Mars Orbiter Mission Spacecraft from the First Launch Pad at Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR, Sriharikota.The challenging PSLV-C25 mission is optimised for the launch of Mars Orbiter Mission spacecraft into a highly elliptical Earth orbit with a perigee (nearest point to Earth) of 250 km and an apogee (farthest point to Earth) of 23,500 km with an inclination of 19.2 degree with respect to the equator.



During the first three orbit raising operations, ISRO has progressively tested the autonomy functions of the spacecraft that are essential for trans-Mars injection and Mars orbit insertion
The systems tested satisfactorily are
* The prime and redundant chains of gyros & accelerometers.

* Liquid motor attitude control thrusters.

* Attitude, orbit control electronics and associated logics for their fault detection isolation & reconfiguration.

* Functioning of prime and redundant star sensor.


Trajectory Design of Mars orbiter Mission :



The mission consists of following three phases :
Geocentric Phase :
The spacecraft is injected into the Elliptical parking orbit by the launcher. It is gradually maneuvered into a departure hyperbolic trajectory with which it escapes from Earths sphere of influence with Earths orbital velocity with some acceleration. The Hohman transfer orbit method of travel is used to send spacecraft from Earth to mars using least amount of fuel.
Heliocentric Phase :
The spacecraft leaves the Earth in a direction tangential to Earths orbit and encounters mars tangential to its orbit.
Martian Phase:
The spacecraft arrives at the Mars sphere of influence in a hyperbolic trajectory. At the time the spacecraft reaches the closest approach to Mars it is captured into planned orbit around mars by imparting Mars orbit Insetion manoeuvre. In November 2013 ISRO plans to launch the Mars orbit mission utilising minimum energy transfer opportunity.

Payloads used in Mars orbiter Mission
Mars oribiter mission carries five scientific payloads to observe martian surface,atmosphere and exosphere extending upto 80000 km for a detailed understanding of evolution of planet and various processes associated with the mars planet.

1. Mars colour camera (MCC) :

* To moniter dynamic events and weather of Mars

* Used for probing two satellites of Mars : Phobos & Demos

2. Lyman Alpha photometer (LAP) :

* It measures relative abundance of deuterium and hydrogen in Martian upper atmosphere

* To understand the loss process of water from the planet

3. Methane sensor for Mars (MSM):

* Measures methane (CH4) in Martian atmosphere

* It acquires data over illuminated scene as the sensor measures reflected solar radiation.

4. Mars exospheric Neutral composition analyser (MENCA) :

* Analyses Neutral composition in Martian upper atmosphere

* Measure relative abundances of neutral constituents

5. Thermal Infrared Imaging spectrometer (TIS):

* Operates both during day and night

* Measures thermal emission

* Maps surface compostion and mineralogy of mars.






CONCLUSION:
ISRO has performed its task with impeccable ease. The criticism of the Mars mission is unwarranted. The quest to understand the space in India is as old as the Vedas. ISRO has revived the legacy by investing in and inventing advanced technology to explore space. The Mars mission is not a show off but a step towards understanding the universe. Studies have however shown that the country has more than recouped the money it invested in space. But those returns were not immediate and took many years, even decades, to materialise. It is difficult to predict all thebenifits that might accrue from something like the Mars mission, some of which may be intangible but nevertheless vital for the country in the long run. The successful launch of the Mars Orbitor mission is an outstanding achievement and a step in the right direction. Scientist and engineers of ISRO should be congratulated on completing the project in time. We hope and pray that the various milestones of the mission will be accomplished proving to the world that although we may lag behind in many social and economic standards, we are next to none in scientific talent.
AKULA SUDHAKAR
References:

* Frontline.in

* The hindu, Times of India

* ISRO.org

* www.planetary.org








Mars Orbiter Mission carries five scientific payloads to observe Martian surface, atmosphere and exosphere extending up to 80,000 km for a detailed understanding of the evolution of that planet, especially the related geologic and the possible biogenic processes on that interesting planet. These payloads consist of a camera, two spectrometers, a radiometer and a photometer. Together, they h
.



Mars Orbiter Mission carries five scientific payloads to observe Martian surface, atmosphere and exosphere extending up to 80,000 km for a detailed understanding of the evolution of that planet, especially the related geologic and the possible biogenic processes on that interesting planet. These payloads consist of a camera, two spectrometers, a radiometer and a photometer. Together, they have a weight of about 15 kg.

Mars Orbiter Mission

What is it?



It is a mission to successfully send a spacecraft to orbit the Mars and study its various aspects.This mission was envisaged by ISRO in about 2010, on the backdrop of successful Chandrayaan mission and officially declared by the Prime Minister in his Independence Day speech in 2012.

The mission is called Mars Orbiter Mission, the spacecraft [the orbiter] is called Mangalyaan. The mission is essentially a "technology demonstrator" project aiming to develop the technologies required for design, planning, management and operations of an interplanetary mission.



The payloads on the craft and their various functions:



1. a colour camera for optical imaging of the martian surfacesurface

2. a methane sensor

3. a thermal infrared camera to study geological activity

4. a Lyman Alpha Photometer to study the Martian atmosphere

5. and a payload to study the neutral composition of the planets upper atmosphere



Out of all the above payloads, the methane sensor is considered to be the most important.





Why so much fuss about methane?



As we all know, methane is considered by many to be an important indicator of life. The thing is many scientists have claimed that there is methane on mars based on sat and telescope observations, but curiosity didnt discover any.



Also, there are reasons to believe it might have disappeared, either due to intense solar activity or some biological processes. Plus, methane can not confirm biological activity on mars, since it can also origin from geological formations, just like on earth. In short, there is too much of confusion related to the subject. And that is why most of the focus on the mission relates to methane.





The Launch:



Using the time trusted friend of ISRO - PSLV rockets. Since our GSLV programme, which can enable us to launch heavier rockets into higher orbits, is still stranded, PSLV was the best bet.



But since PSLV is not very powerful, ISRO first launched the craft into lower orbits, and plans to raise the orbiting radius with the help of thrusters, rockets fired to provide more speed to already revolving spacecraft. So in effect, the craft will revolve around the earth for some time and after some time when the orbital radius is increased to a level, will leave for mars, where it will reach sometime in September 2014, where one more thrust would be provided to get the craft into the martian orbit.



ISTRAC (ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network.) is ISROs tracking centre, which will communicate with the spacecraft, correct the course and command the spacecraft.





Major criticisms:



1. The most scathing attacks relate to the cost of the mission, considering the physical benefits it can bring for the nation. It is just a scientific experiment with little physical benefits in the near future, and it doesnt make sense for a developing nation with its huge socio-economic problems, including poverty to spend crores of rupees for something that looks like an expensive me-too mission.



2. The scond criticism is that it diverts attention away from the more critical failures of Indias space programmes. The GSLV programme is yet to take off positively. ISRO falls short of capacity to cater to the communication needs of our country. A few months ago, airtel had sued isro for not meeting its contract commitments to provide transponders on its satellites. Transponder is the equipment that facilitates communication and is required for providing DTH services, etc.


3. Not really a criticism but this mission is also viewed to be a manifestation of asian space race where asian powers like India, China and Japan are involved, and is thought to be needless given that India lags much behind in important economic parameters compared to the other two countries.


4. Also the timing of the launch is criticised. The mission was completed in haste, just 15 months and its urgency is questioned when we have other issues like the GSLV to attend to. But the reason for such hurry may be attributed to the fact that if we missed this opportunity, the next best opportunity to send a spacecraft to mars would arrive in 2016 only.





The Bright Side:



1. The first shoot off obviously is the international impression it creates. As stated earlier, this is largely a technology demonstrator project. But even Giants like the USA, Japan and China have failed to make it to the mars in first attempt. Only the ESA has succeded in its maiden attempt. Our space programme has been one of the best in the world, and this success would cement our position.



2. The international recognition could get us access to advanced research opportunities and bigger programmes. As the space research gets more and more complex, there is going to be need of international cooperation for bigger projects, and india will be a natural choice in such a scenario. for eg., many experts think that the manned mission to mars will be a collaboration of many countries.


3. The cost involved, which is missions most severe criticism by the sceptics is also the most positive takeaway from the mission. At just Rs. 450 crores, it is the cheapest ever mission to mars. This may be because of various reasons like, use of mostly indigenous technology and equipments, low salary of scientists, an economy that is vastly different from countries who have previously tried such missions. But this opens up a range of business opportunities in the sector, given that cost is becoming the most important consideratipons for the future missions. To put in perspective, NASAs MAVEN mission that took off few days after Mangalyaan, costs 6 times more. [But it must not be forgotten that the two missions are essentially different, with MAVEN carrying heavier loads and higher mission objectives.] It is for this reason that there are some who opine that Indias mission objective will be achieved even if it can just put its craft in the martian orbit.


4. These kind of missions may subsequently result in a snowballing effect in other sectors, resulting in significant spin-off technologies, i.e. technologies used in this mission could be used in other sectors. For example even NASA spin-offs have contributed to fields like computer technology, environment and agriculture, health and medicine, public safety, transportation, recreation, and industrial productivity.


5. Although this mission may seem irrelevant today, these things take time to have real impact. And the price of falling behind may be too much. This is summed up best by what the ISRO chairman said : if we do not do this, we will become stagnant




Conclusion:



It is true this mission alone does not make us the world space power. Although China has not been able to send its mission to Mars doesnt directly mean we are better than them. They have been able to send man to space, built a space station, etc. It is also true that there dont seem many physical benefits of this programme in the immediate future.



But it is unfair to question the need for superiority in one field when the other fields are lagging behind. We do need progress in other fields like primary education, infrastructure, health, etc. but that can not be the reason why we should not advance ahead in space technology. To be a global power, we need to be powerful in all the fields and Space Tech is one of the important ones.



Everything that we do is not to get material gains only. Humans have a greater urge to achieve something significant, for self actualisation. This programme signifies Indias aspiration to be a globally significant power. This can ignite a spark in our children, the future generation. And the greatest achievement of this mission will be realised if even some kids chose to pursue a career in science research and technology, inspired from ISROs success story. After all, mars is just a metaphor (









Reference:

* mostly from The Hindu, a line from Wikipedia, a few randon internet searches, and a lil bit of brainstorming. (



By:Manish Zole



* Im starting to hate books due to UPSC preparations, dont want any.

* THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

ISRO Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM)

ISRO Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM)
Launched by vehicle PSLV C25 (The XL version of PSLV C 25 had carried Chandrayaan 1, the country's maiden moon mission, in 2008.) at 2.38 PM from the spaceport here, about 100 km from Chennai.


India is all set to launch its Mars mission from the Indian Space and Research Organisation (ISRO) centre at Sriharikota on Tuesday. If it goes well, India will join the league of countries like America, Russia and Europe to undertake a successful Mars mission.
The important move by India is being watched by the world.



Here are some of the highlights of the Mars mission of India:
Distance to Mars: 400 million km
Duration of journey: 300 days
Launch time: 23 minutes as the rocket will be visible to ISRO through its own ground for this period.
Mars orbit insertion date: September 12, 2014
Next major date: November 30, when the aircraft will begin its journey to Mars. Before this date, it will continue to revolve around Earth
Cost of mission: Rs 450 crore


MISSION'S OBJECTIVES
# Orbit manoeuvres to ensure final capture into Martian orbit
# Development of force models and algorithms for orbit and attitude computations and analyses
# Maintain the probe in all phases of the mission, meeting power, communications, thermal and payload operation requirements
# Look for methane on Mars, for detection of life on the planet
EYE ON THE SKY
# During the launch, the Mangalyaan Mission will be tracked by two specially equippeed Shipping Corporation of India ships--Yamuna and Nalanda, positioned in the South Pacific Ocean.
# During its journey from Earth to Mars, the MarsOrbiter will be tracked using the Indian Deep Space Network at Baylalu on the outskirts of Bangalore and sea-borne S-band terminals.
# At the time of the Mars capture in September 2014, tracking and communication with the satelite will be done using the 70-metre antenna of NASA's deep space network at Canberra in Australia.






The Team
S K Shivakumar: The Director of the ISRO Satellite Centre, which built the Mars Orbiter and spacecraft. An engineer from the Indian Institute of Science, he was earlier the head of ISRO's telemetry, tracking and command network, ISTRAC.
Dr Mylswamy Annnadurai: The Programme Director of IRS & SSS (Indian Remote Sensing & Small, Science and Student Satellites) at ISRO, he was the project director of the Moon Mission and is overseeing the one to Mars as well.
P Kunhikrishnan: He is the Mission Director for the launcher. From the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in Thiruvananthapuram, Kunhikrishnan has seven successful PSLV launches under his belt since 2009.
S Arunan: The Project Director for the Mars Orbiter. For the senior scientist with the ISRO Satellite Centre, the Mars Mission is a maiden venture as Project Director. His team created the Mars Orbiter for ISRO in 12 months and is now bracing for sleepless nights as the mission approaches countdown.
Dr V Kesavaraju: The Mission Director for the post-launch operations. A team led by Dr Kesavaraju of the ISRO Satellite Centre will monitor the Mars Mission following its launch, including tracking it in outer space.

* The Mars Orbiter has five scientific instruments - Lyman Alpha Photometer (LAP), Methane Sensor for Mars (MSM), Mars Exospheric Neutral Composition Analyser (MENCA), Mars Colour Camera (MCC) and Thermal Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (TIS).

* European Space Agency (ESA) of the European consortium, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of the US and Roscosmos of Russia are the three agencies which have successfully sent their missions to the Red Planet.

Sumeet Mahendra
Source: Indian Express, PTI and The Hindu.