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March 31, 2015
Mars Orbiter Mission Spacecraft description
Mars Orbiter Mission is India's first interplanetary mission to planet Mars with an orbiter craft designed to orbit Mars in an elliptical orbit. The Mission is primarily technological mission considering the critical mission operations and stringent requirements on propulsion and other bus systems of spacecraft. It has been configured to carry out observation of physical features of mars and carry out limited study of Martian atmosphere with following five payloads:
Mars Orbiter Mission instruments description
- Mars Colour Camera (MCC)
- Thermal Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (TIS)
- Methane Sensor for Mars (MSM)
- Mars Exospheric Neutral Composition Analyser (MENCA)
- Lyman Alpha Photometer (LAP)
Breathtaking pictures from Mars Colour Camera (MCC) of India’s Mars Orbiter Spacecraft
Mars taken by MCC
Taken using the Mars Color Camera from an altitude of 8449 km.
First image of the surface of Mars by MCC
Spectacular 3D view of Arsia Mons, a huge volcano on Mars
Eos Chaos area, part of the gigantic Valles Marineris Canyon of Mars
Mission Objectives
One of the main objectives of the first Indian mission to Mars is to develop the technologies required for design, planning, management and operations of an interplanetary mission. Following are the major objectives of the mission:
A. Technological Objectives:
- Design and realisation of a Mars orbiter with a capability to survive and perform Earth bound manoeuvres, cruise phase of 300 days, Mars orbit insertion / capture, and on-orbit phase around Mars.
- Deep space communication, navigation, mission planning and management.
- Incorporate autonomous features to handle contingency situations.
Artists Concept of the Mars Orbiter Mission spacecraft
B. Scientific Objectives:
- Exploration of Mars surface features, morphology, mineralogy and Martian atmosphere by indigenous scientific instruments.
For more information about Mars Orbiter Mission, visit: http://www.isro.gov.in/pslv-c25-mars-orbiter-mission
For more information about, visit: http://www.isro.gov.in/
Images, Text, Credits: Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
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