Mangalyaan - know how ISRO reach Mars in his first attempt!!

INTRODUCTION TO MANGALYAAN

Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM), also called ‘MANGALYAAN’, India’s maiden Interplanetary mission which marks a significant milestone in its space program. Mission was launched by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on 5 November 2013, using its Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) from Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. The mission’s name comes from the Sanskrit words Maṅgala (“Mars”) and yāna (“craft, vehicle”). From this mission ISRO became the fourth space agency to reach Mars orbit, following Roscosmos, NASA, and the European Space Agency. It made India the first Asian nation to enter the Martian orbit, and the first nation in the world to do so on its first attempt.

MISSION OBJECTIVES

One of the primary goals of India’s first Mars trip is to create technologies for interplanetary mission design, planning, management, and operations. The following are the mission’s key objectives:

Technological Objectives: Design and build a Mars orbiter capable of surviving and performing Earthbound maneuvers, with a 300-day cruise phase, Mars orbit insertion/capture, and an on-orbit phase around Mars. Deep-space communication, navigation, mission planning, and administration. Incorporate autonomous features to deal with unexpected scenarios.
Scientific Goals: Exploration of Mars’ surface features, morphology, minerals, and atmosphere using indigenous scientific instruments. The mission would also allow for multiple observations of the Martian moon Phobos, as well as the identification and re-estimation of asteroids detected during the Martian Transfer Trajectory. The probe also delivered the first views of the far side of Mars’ moon Deimos.

MISSION COMPONENTS

In this context, the Indian Mars Orbiter Mission transported the following five scientific payloads:

Mars Color Camera (MCC)
Thermal Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (TIS)
Methane Sensor for Mars (MSM)
Mars Exospheric Neutral Composition Analyser (MENCA)
Lyman Alpha Photometer (LAP)

MARS COLOR CAMERA

The Mars Colour Camera (MCC) is a multi-purpose camera on the Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) that takes tricolored photographs of Mars and its surroundings. Following is the main working of MCC:

Imaging Mars’ surface at various scales and resolutions.
Mapping the geological background surrounding methane sources.
Monitor dust storms, cloud patterns, and other dynamic weather events.
Imaging Phobos and Deimos, Mars’ two satellites.
Providing context for other science payloads.
The MCC has 16 exposure settings and can capture Apoareion photos of Mars’ complete disc and Periareion images of 540 km x 540 km.

THERMAL INFRARED IMAGING SPECTROMETER (TIS)

The Thermal Infrared Imaging Spectrometer is a grating-based spectrometer that will used to monitor thermal emissions from the Martian surface. This spectrometer operates in the thermal infrared range (TIR) 7 to 13 microns. TIS has an uncooled micro-bolometer array, which reduces weight and power compared to a cooled IR detector. It is developed by Space Applications Centre, Ahmedabad.

METHANE SENSOR FOR MARS (MSM)

The Methane Sensor for Mars (MSM) is a differential radiometer that uses Fabry-Perot Etalon filters and operates in the short wave infrared (SWIR) range. It detects sun radiation through two SWIR channels. CH4 absorbs in the first channel (methane channel), but not in the second (reference channel). The MSM’s primary science goal is to detect and analyse methane concentrations in the Martian atmosphere during clear sky conditions. The MSM data may also provide information about the origin of methane, whether it is biogenic or abiogenic. In September 2014, the MSM made the first definite detections of Martian methane, which may imply the possibility of microbial life.

MARS EXOSPHERIC NEUTRAL COMPOSITION ANALYSER

The primary scientific goal of the Mars Exospheric Neutral Composition Analyzer (MENCA) is to investigate the neutral composition and density distribution of the Martian exosphere, as well as its radial, diurnal, and perhaps seasonal fluctuations. This would aid in understanding the escape of the Martian atmosphere.

LYMAN ALPHA PHOTOMETER (LAP)

The Lyman Alpha Photometer (LAP) monitors the relative levels of deuterium and hydrogen in Mars’ upper atmosphere (typically Exosphere and exobase). The LAP operates in the far ultraviolet area, measuring emissions from Mars’ exosphere and exobase. Researchers can estimate the amount of water lost into space by measuring the ratio of deuterium to hydrogen, or D/H.

LAUNCH VEHICLE

ISRO had planned to launch Mangalyaan on its Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) rocket rather than the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), which is only about half as powerful. However, the rocket experienced two failures in 2010, just as Mangalyaan was being developed. However, the PSLV could inserted Mangalyaan in a highly elliptical Earth orbit. The trajectory design was extremely unconventional for a Mars mission, however it worked. When the spacecraft arrived at the Red Planet around 300 days later, it restarted its engines and successfully entered Mars orbit.

MISSION CHALLENGES

In this mission ISRO faces many challenges including:

Communication Delay: The distance between Earth and Mars is varies [55(min)-400(max)] million km, and we know that the signal travels at a speed of light, that’s why the radio signal comes from spacecraft delay 4-20 minutes. This required the spacecraft to rely on autonomous fault detection, diagnosis, and correction capabilities in the absence of ground control guidance.

Inserting The Orbiter into Mars Orbit: Restarting the propulsion system after nearly a year in mars orbit was a significant technical hurdle.

Limited Duration: The mission was intended to last only six months, which limited the amount of data that could be collected.

Large and Highly Elliptical Mars Orbit: The spacecraft’s wide and very elliptical Mars orbit complicated scientific observations and mapping capability. However, its orbit did provide a fantastic vantage position to record full-globe pictures of Mars.

TECHNOLOGICAL ACHIVEMENTS:

India’s successful trip to Mars represented its first foray into interplanetary exploration, boosting its global prestige in the space sector.
Mangalyaan studied the Martian surface’s radiation environment, offering light on its effects on both the surface and the atmosphere.
India became the first country to successfully insert a Mars orbit on its first attempt. Surprisingly, the mission cost only $74 million, less than the budget for the Hollywood film “Gravity.”
The Mars Orbiter project is the world’s most cost-effective interplanetary project, showcasing India’s ability to meet space exploration objectives efficiently.

LEGACY AND FUTURE MISSIONS

India’s Mars Orbiter Mission (aka Mangalyaan), which was launched in 2013 and successfully inserted into Mars orbit in 2014. Its primary objectives were to investigate Martian surface, atmosphere, and mineral composition. Mangalyaan’s legacy demonstrates India’s space technological breakthroughs and has inspired a new generation of scientists and engineers. Mars Orbiter Mission -2 (Mangalyaan-2), India’s next mission towards red planet, is set to launch in September 2024. This mission will use an updated orbiter and 100 kilogrammes of scientific instruments to investigate Mars’ surface, atmosphere, and climate. The mission will also feature a UAV capable of flying up to 100 metres in the Martian atmosphere to examine it.

Mangalyaan’s success has resulted in numerous proposed missions, including:

Shukrayaan: A Venus Orbiter
Aditya-L1, a solar observatory.
Mars Landing Technologies: ISRO has initiated work on these technologies.

Mangalyaan – know how ISRO reach Mars in his first attempt!!