India marked it’s first venture into the interplanetary space with Mangalyaan a Mars Orbiter Mission which will explore and observe Mars surface features, morphology, mineralogy and atmosphere. Further, a specific search for methane in the Martian atmosphere will provide information about the possibility or the past existence of life on the planet. The enormous distances involved in interplanetary missions present a demanding challenge; developing and mastering the technologies essential for these missions will open endless possibilities for space exploration. After leaving Earth, the Orbiter will have to endure the Interplanetary space for 300 days before Mars capture. Apart from deep space communications and navigation-guidance-control capabilities, the mission will require autonomy at the spacecraft end to handle contingencies. Once India decided to go to Mars, ISRO had no time to lose as the nearest launch window was only a few months away and it could not afford to lose the chance, given the next launch would present itself after over 780 days, in 2016. Thus, mission planning, manufacturing the spacecraft and the launch vehicle and readying the support systems took place swiftly.

1. MANGALYAAN

2. SPACE PROBE LAUNCHED BY INDIA TO ORBIT AROUND MARS

3. On MARS MANGALYAAN is exploring and observing
1. SURFACE FEATURES
2. MINERALOGY
3. ATMOSPHERE
4. METHANE PRESENCE
5. PAST HUMAN EXISTENCE
6. HUMAN CIVILIZATION POSSIBILITIES

4. PAYLOAD
3
2
1
4
5

5. AN ABSORPTION CELL PHOTOMETER
 Estimates D/H ratio to analyze loss of water from surface.
 Measures Generation of Hydrogen and Deuterium coronal profiles.
LYMAN ALPHA PHOTOMETER
1

6. MARS EXOSPHERIC NEUTRAL
COMPOSITION ANALYSER
2 Analyses the neutral composition in the range of 1 to 300 amu with
unit mass resolution.

7. MARS COLOR CAMERA
3 A TRI-COLOR CAMERA
 Gives images & information about the surface features.
 Monitors the dynamic events and weather.
 Provides the context information for other science payloads.

8. METHANE SENSOR
4  Measures Methane in the atmosphere through solar radiations.
 Map sources of methane on surface.

9. THERMAL INFRARED IMAGING
SPECTROMETER
5  Measures thermal emissions during day and night.
 Map surface composition and mineralogy of Mars.

10. FACT CHECK

11. LAUNCHED ON : 5th NOV., 2013
ORBITING MARS SINCE : 24th SEP., 2014
OPERATED BY : ISRO (INDIAN SPACE RESEARCH ORGANIZATION)
MANUFACTURED BY : ISAC (INDIAN SATELLITE CENTRE)
LAUNCH SITE : SATISH DHAWAN SPACE CENTRE
DIMENSION : 1.5 m 𝟑
PROJECT COST : 450 CRORE ₹
POWER : 840 W