Congratulations to all Indians. It is indeed a proud moment for us as ‘Mangalyan’ PSLV-C25 entered the Mars orbit. We pay our gratitude to the hard work put in by our scientists of ISRO to make Mars Orbiter Mission a success.
Some of the highlights of Mars Orbiter Mission:
- As per ISRO’s website “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 is the first country to succeed at Mars Mission in very first attempt.
- With $ 74 million i.e. Rs 450 crore, it is the cheapest mission undertaken by any space organization.
- India is the first Asian country to achieve the feat and ISRO is the fourth space agency to send a satellite to red planet.
- Prior to India, Three space agencies have sent orbiters to Mars successfully. These are the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa), European Space Agency, and Russian Federal Space Agency.
- It took nearly ten months to achieve the Maneuver of the Mars Orbiter Mission ‘Mangalyaan’.
- Important dates
- November 5, 2013: Isro launched MOM on the trusted PSLV platform, in its 25th flight, from Sriharikota.
- February 11, 2014: MOM completed 100 days in space.
- April 9, 2014: MOM completes half the journey of the 299 days.
- September 22, 2014: The main liquid engine was re-fired after the December 1, 2013 operation for the first time in 10 months, overcoming a great technological challenge.
- September 24, 2014: It will be in the Martian orbit if all goes well.
- The success of the mission to Mars will “inspire our scientists to make even greater strides”, said President Pranab Mukherjee.
- “History has been created today. We have dared, to reach out, into the unknown,” PM Modi said congratulating the country.