The Mangalyaan Mission also known as the Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) has finally come to an end after its journey stretching just over 8 years. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) confirmed that the spacecraft has run out of fuel and the battery has died as well. The mission was planned for 6 months, but its survival for 8 years has made it a big development across the space fraternity.
ISRO launched the PSLV-C25 vehicle on November 5, 2013, and it was successfully inserted into the Mars orbit on September 24, 2014, just a few months shy of 1 year since its launch took place. Here’s a timeline of the MOM mission and what it achieved during its 8-year journey inside the Mars orbit.
Big Launch Date
ISRO had originally planned the launch for October 28, 2013, but due to the poor weather conditions in the Pacific Ocean, the space authority decided to push the launch date to November 5, 2013. NASA was equally involved in the mission, providing communications and navigation support with its Deep Space Network. The PSLV-C25 mission for the MOM was conceived at a total cost of Rs 450 crore, which makes it the least-expensive Mars mission to date.
Trans-Mars Injection Completed
On November 30, 2013, the PSLV-C25 completed its Heliocentric insertion which is close to the surface of the Sun. From here on, the probe was in a position to start its journey toward Mars orbit.
Enroute To Mars Via Sun
The period between December 2013 and September 2014 is associated with the journey of the probe, covering a distance of 780,000,000 km in a Hohmann transfer orbit around the Sun to Mars. During this period, the probe’s phase plan included four trajectory corrections to make sure the probe was inserted into the Mars orbit at the right position.
MOM Probe Enters Mars Orbit
On September 24, 2014, after successfully completing the third trajectory correction, the probe was inserted into Mars orbit.
First Global View Of Mars
The MOM controllers sent the first images of Mars on September 28, 2014. The image was shot by the Mars Colour Camera.
ISRO Releases First Mars Atlas
The 120-page Mars Atlas was released by ISRO on September 24, 2015, that contained images and data from MOM completing its first year in Mars orbit.
MOM’s Orbit Altered To Avoid Eclipse
MOM’s orbit was altered to avoid the eclipse season which takes a toll on the vehicle’s built-in battery unit.
1000 Days In Mars Orbit
On May 19, 2017, MOM reached 1000 days in orbit around Mars. It had sent 715 images back to Earth and its health was reported to be good.
Full Disc Image Of Mars Captured
On July 18, 2021, the MCC managed to capture the full disc image of Mars from an altitude of 75,000 km.
ISRO Confirms Mangalyaan Craft Not Recoverable
Finally, after 8 years in Mars orbit, ISRO said that it lost communication with the MOM spacecraft on October 3, 2022.
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