In a giant step, India is all set to launch mission to March on November 5, thus joining a select group of countries, which have launched “Mars Mission”.
New Delhi, Nov 4/Nationalturk – The Indian scientists have made all preparations to launch much awaited India’s Mars Orbiter mission from space centre in South India on November 5 (Tuesday).
“The launch of India’s first interplanetary probe, Mars Orbiter Spacecraft onboard PSLV-C25 (in its XL version), is scheduled on November 5 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR, Sriharikota in Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. The lift-off time is at 1436 hours Indian Standard Time IST,” reads an official communiqué of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
‘Mars mission in last stages of readiness’
Officials said India’s Mars mission is in the last stages of readiness, with propellant being filled in the fourth and last phase of the rocket.
“All the preparations are going on as per schedule. The weather is fine and all parameters are just great for the launch,” they said.
According to scientists, once launched, it is expected to take more than 40 minutes to get injected into Earth’s orbit.
The Launch Authorisation Board of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) had on November 1 given its consent for launch of the Mars Orbiter Mission after a successful launch rehearsal the previous day.
India will be 6th country to launch Mars mission
India will be the sixth country after US, Russia, China, Japan and European Union to launch a Mars mission. Of the 51 missions sent to Mars, only 21 have been successful.
Scientists said the orbiter will remain in Earth orbit till December 1 when it starts its 300-day voyage to Mars. “It is expected to reach the orbit of the red planet on September 24, 2014, after traversing 400 million km. The two tracking ships of Shipping Corporation of India — SCI Nalanda and SCI Yamuna — have taken their positions in the South Pacific, off Fiji, for monitoring the mission.”
The payload has five indigenous instruments that will look for, among other things, traces of methane and deuterium, signs of possible early life and water in Mars.
Scientists around the world will monitor launch
India’s widely read newspaper, Times of India has reported that scientists at the mission control centres of Nasa’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the European Space Agency and the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency will also monitor the launch.
“Orbiting Mars itself is a challenge. This is our first interplanetary mission. There will be bigger missions later,” ISRO chairman K Radhakrishnan was quoted as saying by Times of India.
A fortnight after Indian mission, United States will also be launching a similar Mars orbiter called Maven.
US is the only country that has successfully sent robotic explorers to land on Mars, the most recent being Curiosity, a nearly one-tonne vehicle which touched down in August 2012.
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Faiz Ahmad / NationalTurk India News
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