Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM, Mangalyaan)

Launch data: Designation  39370 / 13060A Launch date  05 Nov 2013 - 09:08 UT Launch site  Sriharikota, FLP Launch vehicle  PSLV-XL (#C25) Mission  Mars Orbiter Earth orbit on Nov 14: Perigee / Apogee  276 x 117875 km Eccentricity   Inclination  19.3° Period  2777 min Earth orbit on Nov 16: Perigee / Apogee  853 x 194683 km Eccentricity   Inclination  19.4° Period  5574 min Heliocentric orbit Perihelion / Aphelion   A.U. Eccentricity   Inclination   deg Period   min

Spacecraft data: Prime manufactor  ISRO Platform   Operator  ISRO Mass at launch  ~1350 kg Mass in Mars orbit  ~500 kg Dry Mass   kg Basic shape   Dimensions (m)   Solar array  Deployable solar array Stabilization   DC power   Design lifetime  1,5 yrs

Descriptions:

• India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), flying on the PSLV-C25 mission, will launch the Mars Orbiter Mission, India's first probe to the red planet. The Mars orbiter, also named Mangalyaan, will study the red planet with imaging cameras and atmospheric sensors.
• One of the main objectives of the first Indian mission to Mars is to develop the technologies required for design, planning, management and operations of an interplanetary mission. The probe is based on the Chandrayaan 1 lunar orbiter structure.
• Following are the major objectives of the mission:
  • Technological Objectives:
    • Design and realisation of a Mars orbiter with a capability to survive and perform Earth bound manoeuvres, cruise phase of 300 days, Mars orbit insertion / capture, and on-orbit phase around Mars.
    • Deep space communication, navigation, mission planning and management.
    • Incorporate autonomous features to handle contingency situations.
  • Scientific Objectives:
    • Exploration of Mars surface features, morphology, mineralogy and Martian atmosphere by indigenous scientific instruments.
• The 15 kg instrument suite consists of:
  • Lyman Alpha Photometer (LAP)
  • Methane Sensor For Mars (MSM)
  • Mars Exospheric Neutral Composition Analyzer (MENCA)
  • Mars Color Camera (MCC)
  • Thermal Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (TIS)

Mission details:

• India began its Mars Orbiter Mission with the launch of the Mars Orbiter Spacecraft from Satish Dhawan Space Center on Sriharikota Island north of Chennai on Nov 5, 2013. The MOS was inserted in elliptical Earth orbit; it will use its own propulsion to enter solar orbit.
  ISRO officials seem to be using the name 'Mars Orbiter Spacecraft' for the vehicle (as opposed to the mission), although the press kit uses 'Mars Orbiter Satellite'. Parts of the Indian press media are also using the nickname 'Mangalyaan' but this is never used by ISRO, so I consider this name incorrect, although the correct name is admittedly boring.
  'Mars Orbiter Mission' (MOM) is also used widely for the spacecraft.
• The third stage rocket reentered off the coast of Peru after half an orbit; the fourth stage and MOM payload entered a 251 x 23892 km x 19.4 deg orbit with first perigee over the South Pacific. On Nov 7 the orbit was raised to 259 x 28726 km, and on Nov 8 to over 70000 km apogee. A further burn on Nov 10 delivered only 35m/s, raising the apogee less than planned. A makeup burn on Nov 11 fixed the problem, and a burn on Nov 15 put the spacecraft in a 853 x 194683 km x 19.4 deg orbit.
• India's Mars Orbiter Spacecraft made a perigee burn at 1919 UTC Nov 30, 2013 to accelerate to a hyperbolic Earth escape trajectory, and entered an 0.98 x 1.45 AU solar orbit on Dec 3 on the way to Mars.
• The Indian Space Research Organization's Mars Orbiter Spacecraft entered the Mars sphere of influence from its 0.98 x 1.44 AU x 2.5 deg solar orbit on Sep 22, 2014.