12 must-know facts about India's mission to Mars

11 Oct 2013, 01:18 PM IST

1 / 12 India's mission to Mars Text: PTI & ISRO



ISRO's Mars Mission is India's first interplanetary mission with a spacecraft designed to orbit the red planet.



Find out more about India's bold Mission to the red planet and the scientific objectives that it will achieve:

2 / 12 Primarily technological mission The Mission is primarily a technological one, considering the critical operations and stringent requirements on propulsion and other bus systems of spacecraft.



In pic: Mars Orbiter Mission spacecraft being prepared for a prelaunch test at Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR, Srihairkota

3 / 12 Main objectives One of the main objectives is to develop the technologies required for design, planning, management and operations of an interplanetary mission.



In pic: Loading Spacecraft for Thermovacuum Test in Large Space Simulation Chamber

5 / 12 Campaign has already commenced Launch campaign has already commenced at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, about 90 km from Chennai, from where the 1,350-kg MOM spacecraft is slated to be launched by the Rs 110 crore Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C25).



In pic: Hoisting of the third and fourth stages of PSLV-C25 during vehicle integration.

6 / 12 PSLV-C25 The PSLV-C25 with strap-ons has already been assembled, with the rocket ready for satellite integration.



In pic: (Left to right) PSLV-C25 after the integration of all its four stages at Mobile Service Tower and PSLV-C25 third and fourth stages being placed on top of the second stage at the Mobile Service Tower

7 / 12 Will carry compact science instruments The satellite will carry compact science experiment instruments, totalling a mass of 15 kg. There will be five instruments to study Martian surface, atmosphere and mineralogy.



In pic: Spacecraft undergoing Acoustic test at ISITE ISAC Bangalore

8 / 12 Spacecraft will cruise in deep space After leaving the earth's orbit, the spacecraft will cruise in deep space for about ten months using its own propulsion system and will reach Martian transfer trajectory in September 2014.



In pic: PSLV-C25 fourth stage being hoisted during its integration with the third stage.

9 / 12 Will enter into Mars orbit ISRO has planned that the spacecraft will subsequently enter into a 372 km by 80,000 km elliptical orbit around Mars.



In pic: Spacecraft in Clean-room at SDSC SHAR Sriharikota

10 / 12 Main theme The main theme of the mission is to reveal whether there is methane, considered a "precursor chemical" for life, on the red planet. Methane sensor, one of the five payloads (scientific instruments) on board the spacecraft, would look to detect the presence.



In pic: Preparation of one of the strap-ons before its integration with PSLV-C25 first stage.

11 / 12 Mission's 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.



In pic: One of the strap-ons of PSLV-C25 being lowered to its transporter