The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has over many years been known to come up with cost-effective space missions. Its knack for frugal engineering and adaptive technology has made the ISRO stand out in the world.
With the Mars mission catching the global eye, we take a look at eight recent (2012 and 2013) successful missions and launches by the ISRO:
Mars Orbiter Mission
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.
India on November 5 embarked on its maiden Mars odyssey with its polar rocket carrying Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) successfully lifting off in its first-ever inter-planetary expedition in a bid to join a select band of nations. It is expected to reach the red planet's orbit by September 24, 2014 and go around in an elliptical orbit (periapsis of 366 km and apo-apsis of 80,000 km). 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). The Mars mission is aimed at establishing the country's capability to reach the red planet and focus on looking for the presence of methane, an indicator of life in 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.