Lok Sabha Question No. 2155 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-03-15
Subject: Achievements of Mars Orbiter Mission
Ministry: SPACE
Asked by: FEROZE VARUN GANDHI

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## DEPARTMENT OF SPACE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2155

## TO BE ANSWERED ON WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15, 2017

## ACHIEVEMENTS OF MARS ORBITER MISSION

## 2155.   SHRI FEROZE VARUN GANDHI:

Will the PRIME MINISTER be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of achievements of Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) till date along with details of its proposed life span;
- (b) whether  the  Indian  Space  Research  Organisation  (ISRO)  is considering to expand its programme; and
- (c) if so, the details thereof along with the potential benefits that shall accrue due to such proposed extension and the associated costs involved?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PERSONNEL, PG & PENSIONS AND IN THE PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE

## (DR. JITENDRA SINGH):

- (a) Mars  Orbiter Mission  (MOM)  is  India's first interplanetary mission. The main purpose of MOM, as a technology demonstration mission, is to demonstrate India's capability to insert MOM  in  Martian orbit and operating Mars Orbiter spacecraft for 6 months. The significant achievements of MOM include:
-  Mars  orbiter  spacecraft  has  been  successfully  inserted  into elliptical  orbit  around  Mars  on  September  24,  2014.  It  has completed 29 months in its orbit around Mars and is presently functioning satisfactorily. Considering the availability of propellant and health parameters, MOM is expected to function for more years.
-  Scientific payloads onboard MOM continues to provide valuable data of Mars surface and its atmosphere. Mars Color Camera  has  captured  more  than  630  images  of  the  Martian surface.
-  It  has  provided  excellent  opportunities  in  planetary  research for the scientific community of the country. Archived data was released on September 24, 2016 for free download for scientific research. It has witnessed more than 210 GB of data download  from  1175  registered  users.  So  far,  seventeen  (17) scientific papers have been published in national and international journals.
-  It  is  first  Indian  spacecraft  to  incorporate  full  scale  on-board autonomy to overcome the long distances and the communication gaps due to non-visibility periods. It is also the first  Mars  mission  in  the  world  to  succeed  in  the  Mars  Orbit Insertion at its very first attempt.

## (b) & (c)

As per the orbit of MOM, a long eclipse of about 400 minutes was  expected  during  January  2017.  To  avoid  the  eclipse,  a maneuver  of  MOM  was  conducted.  This  activity  ensures  no eclipses  till  2020.  MOM  has  been  in  orbit  for  more  than  one Martian year and is expected to survive for many more Martian years.  This  extended  life  of  MOM  will  facilitate  increased observation  of  Mars  by  the  five  scientific  payloads  on-board MOM and facilitate extensive planetary science data analysis, which  can  help  the  scientific  community  to  understand  Mars better.  It  would  also  enable  coverage  of  Mars  in  different seasons. A cost of about ` 5.0 crores is expected to be incurred annually, towards ground operations support.

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