Mars Orbiter craft non-recoverable, Mangalyaan mission over, confirms ISRO

Source: The post is based on the article “Mars Orbiter craft non-recoverable, Mangalyaan mission over, confirms ISRO” published in Indian Express on 2nd October 2022.

What is the News?

The Indian Space Research Organization(ISRO) confirmed that the Mars Orbiter craft has lost communication and is non-recoverable and the Mangalyaan mission has attained end-of-life.

Note: Because of propellant (fuel) exhaustion the desired altitude pointing could not be achieved for sustained power generation and the Mars Orbiter craft lost communication from the ground station. Due to this, the Mangalyaan mission has ended.

What is Mangalyaan Mission?

Mars Orbiter Mission(MOM) or Mangalyaan is a space probe launched by the Indian Space Research Organization(ISRO) in 2013 and was successfully inserted into the Martian orbit in 2014.

Launcher used: It was launched using a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) rocket C25.

Objectives: 1) To explore Martian surface features, mineralogy, morphology and atmosphere using indigenous scientific instruments, 2) To develop technologies required in planning, designing, management and operations of an interplanetary mission.

Instruments: The instruments onboard the probe included a colour camera, a thermal infrared sensor, an ultraviolet spectrometer to study deuterium and hydrogen in the red planet’s upper atmosphere, a mass spectrometer to study neutral particles in its exosphere and a methane sensor.

Significance: Mangalyaan was India’s first interplanetary mission.

– The mission made India the first Asian country and the fourth in the world after Roscosmos, NASA, and the European Space Agency to get to the planet.

– China referred to India’s successful Mangalyaan as the “Pride of Asia”.