BENGALURU: The Mars Mission Spacecraft, orbiting the red planet, will last for ‘many years’ since it still has 35 kg of fuel left, according to Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman A S Kiran Kumar.
Meanwhile, ISRO is preparing to celebrate the anniversary of Mars Mission Spacecraft insertion into orbit on September 24.
“Mars (mission) is expected to last for many years now because it has gone through solar conjunction also. So, we don’t see much of a problem till the next event like that happens,” Mr Kumar told newsmen at a function organised to celebrate 75th birth anniversary of Renowned Scientist, Prof Satish Dhawan, in which Former ISRO Chairman K Radhakrishnan delivered a Prof Satish Dhawan Commemoration Lecture here yesterday.
Mr Kumar said “we had planned it only for six months, then we were not expecting so much fuel to be remaining after we completed our insertion activity. About 35 kg of fuel is still left.
There is still a lot of fuel….all other subsystems are working fine and so far we have not had any failures.” On September 24, 2014 ISRO successfully placed the low-cost Mars Mission in orbit around the red planet in its very first attempt, breaking into an elite club of three nations. ISRO, to mark the one year of Mars Orbit Insertion, will release an Atlas containing photos taken by the colour camera on board.
“On September 24, we will be releasing one of the Atlas taking images of Mars Colour Camera and also some results from the Methane Sensor…. then on 5th November we are bringing out a book ‘Fishing Hamlet to Mars’,” he added.
ISRO had launched the spacecraft in a nine-month-long odyssey on a homegrown PSLV rocket from Sriharikota on November five,2013 and it had escaped the earth’s gravitational field on December one, 2013.
When asked whether the extension of MOM’s life will reflect in planning about the fuel consumption for up coming projects, Mr Kumar said “no it cannot be said because there is always a contingency. In this particular case, it went through without any such contingency. In another mission, it could be very different.”
The Mars spacecraft’s life was extended by another six months in March due to surplus fuel which ISRO, now says, can last for many years.
After India’s much hailed successful missions to the Moon and Mars that boosted ISRO’s global standing in space, the next inter-planetary expedition to be launched is under discussion.
Replying to a question, he said “currently, next inter planetary mission discussions are going on. Studies are in progress. We have to go through the discussions, and then the cost.”
About Astorsat’s proposed launch on September 28, he said “Astrosat Satalite is the first dedicated Indian Astronomy Mission aimed at studying celestial objects. This is one of the first scientific mission which will be available to the Indian researcher community as an observation opportunity.”
ASTROSAT will be accompanied by six co-passengers- one satellite each from Indonesia and Canada and four nano satellites from the US.
ISRO is also working with US on NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) for 2021 launch.
(UNI)
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