India’s first Mars Orbiter Spacecraft successfully completes first stage, enters orbit around Earth.
At 2.28pm on Tuesday, the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) blasted off from the first launch pad of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre carrying India’s first interplanetary expedition, the Mars Orbiter Spacecraft.
After 44 minutes and 17 seconds, Indian Space Research Organisation’s (Isro) workhorse did exactly what was expected — “it placed the Mars orbiter spacecraft very precisely into an elliptical orbit around Earth”.
With this the first leg of the Mars Orbiter Spacecraft’s 300-day journey was declared a success and there was celebrations at the space station’s mission control centre with scientists, engineers, politicians, diplomats congratulating the men involved in the project.
“I’m happy to announce that the Mars orbiter mission first phase is a success,” Isro chairman K Radhakrishnan said.
“Our baby is up in space looking for scientific objects but we have a long way to go,” SK Shivakumar, director, Isro Satellite Centre, where the space craft was built, said.
There was anxiety and a sense of euphoria at the mission control centre. Euphoria that the mission for which over 300 Isro scientists and engineers have worked for the last 15 months had become a reality and anxiety because it was the launch of the country’s first interplanetary mission.
Following the success of the first phase of the mission, Isro’s job is only half done as in the days to come key tasks will have to be carried out. Apart from six orbit raising operations in the next 10 days, on December 1 the crucial trans-Mars injection would be carried out to enable the spacecraft to undertake its 300-day journey to the red planet.
The spacecraft is expected to be in Mar’s orbit on September 24, 2014 to carry out its mission objectives, which include the detection of the presence of methane on Mars.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}