India Says Its Mars Spacecraft on Course

[ScienceRocks]

It wouldn't be quite that bad. A year long mission (3 months each way and six months on the surface) would only be a 1 Sievert exposure for the astronauts which would only be something like a 5% increase in chances of fatal cancer.

Plus adding in shielding would just mean an increase in space vehicle mass which is just another engineering problem to overcome.

Yep,

science is all about over coming problems. A defeatist mindset like the poster above you, doesn't lead towards great things. What defines a great nation is this ability.

 

[Vikrant]

According to NASA, a radiation of 1.01 sieverts is quite manageable. NASA is already deep into planning and design of a manned Mars mission. There will be few more robotic missions to explore the planet first though to eliminate as much uncertainty as possible.

 

[Vikrant]

Mars is about to have some company now. Two spacecrafts - one from India and another from the US are about to enter Mars orbit.

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The planet Mars is about to have some company. Two new spacecraft, one from the United States and the other from India, are closing in on the Red Planet and poised to begin orbiting Mars by the end of this month.

The U.S.-built probe, NASA's Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) spacecraft, is expected to enter orbit around Mars on Sept. 21. Just days later, on Sept. 24, India's Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) orbiter is due to make its own Mars arrival when it enters orbit. Both MOM and MAVEN launched to space in 2013.

MAVEN is the first mission devoted to probing the Martian atmosphere, particularly to understand how it has changed during the planet's history.

Mars Probes from US and India Arrive at Red Planet This Month

 

[Vikrant]

Both India's and US's spacecrafts have arrived at the destination. Now the difficult tasks will begin. They have to slow down so that they can be arrested by Mars's gravity. It will be difficult because they are travelling at unimaginable speeds. As you know failure rates for Mars mission is very high even for those countries who have done it before. For India it would be a bit tougher because this is India's first Mars mission. I am keeping my fingers crossed. The insertion process will begin today and it may last till Tuesday. Both spacecrafts have only one chance to get it right. If they miss that one shot, the spacecrafts will be lost in the space and will continue on their uncontrolled heliocentric journey. They have some margin of error though - about 30 minutes I think.

How to Get to Mars NASA and India Face Big Tests at Red Planet - Yahoo News

 

[Vikrant]

There is nice diagram on CNN's website which details the difficult task ahead of India tomorrow. Some of the tasks such as reorienting the spacecraft and testing the retro rockets have been accomplished. The fact that they were able to restart the rocket engines after almost a year of dormancy during the cold space flight is significant.

India s spacecraft nears Mars orbit - CNN.com

 

[Vikrant]

This is a nice picture of PSLV-C25 launch pad from where the Mars bound spacecraft was launched.

India s spacecraft nears Mars orbit - CNN.com

 

[Vikrant]

Congratulations to India and ISRO. It was no mean feat.

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The achievement is more than notable: Fewer than half of all missions ever sent to Mars have succeeded — only the U.S., Russia and the European Union have managed some success mixed with failure. And India beat space rival China, whose 2011 mission got stuck in Earth's orbit. Even so, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hua Chunying congratulated India for its "landmark" achievement in space.

Success India s First Mars Probe Is In Orbit And Working The Two-Way NPR

 

[Vikrant]

ISRO's Mangalyaan has started to send some cool pictures of Mars. Check out Emily L's website below for more pictures.

Mars Orbiter Mission delivers on promise of global views of Mars The Planetary Society

 

[Vikrant]

Dazzling Gallery From India’s Mars Orbiter Camera

Dazzling Gallery From India s MOM Mars Orbiter Camera

 

[irosie91]

I hope that you are aware of MING-----emperor of Mars. -------google FLASH GORDON ---also be aware----the planet MONGO is really
MARS I was a baby when Televisions came with 12 inch screens and endless vacuum tubes--------and MING was the evil creature I equated with Hitler. MING-----the main player in my nitemares --------he was not a nice guy

 

[ScienceRocks]

Can't wait until we land people on mars! Too bad the republican party is doing everything in its power to make that never happen.

 

[irosie91]

Can't wait until we land people on mars! Too bad the republican party is doing everything in its power to make that never happen.

I notice that you,, TOO ---forgot all about
MING

 

[ScienceRocks]

Can't wait until we land people on mars! Too bad the republican party is doing everything in its power to make that never happen.

I notice that you,, TOO ---forgot all about
MING

Why are so many people get caught up in lies? No life can live on mars without live support...

 

[Politico]

Can't wait until we land people on mars! Too bad the republican party is doing everything in its power to make that never happen.

Same here. Maybe you guys will finally solve that whole alien face on Mars mystery.

 

[Delta4Embassy]

Insert jokes about Indian's red dot on the forehead being Mars here.

 

[irosie91]

Insert jokes about Indian's red dot on the forehead being Mars here.

leave the red dot alone----it's cute--it might be mars-----I was told it represents a third eye. MING had a kind of weird chalky white arrow on his bald pate and forehead------it's SCARY

 

[Vikrant]

Insert jokes about Indian's red dot on the forehead being Mars here.

I wonder why Jews are so uptight about Indians?

 

[Vikrant]

Those pictures make me want to visit Mars.

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India's Mars Orbiter Captures Striking View of Red Planet's Canyons

India's Mars Orbiter, which arrived at the Red Planet late last year, has just sent back a beautiful shot of the Ophir Chasma, a system of deep valleys and scalloped terrain in the Valles Marineris region. Areas with major geological features like this tend to show off the various layers of materials making up the surface. The picture above was taken July 19 from 1,857 kilometers (1,154 miles), but the scientists at the Indian Space Research Organisation also reconstructed what it might look like from nearby.

The "Mangalyaan" orbiter has been a major success story. It was constructed on a budget a fraction the size of most space missions — in fact, it cost less than the blockbuster space film "Gravity." It's not carrying state-of-the-art equipment like NASA's Maven orbiter, which entered orbit at nearly the same time. India's mission is more of a proof of concept, showing that the country is more than capable of undertaking serious space exploration.

This success not only means great views like this one, but validation of ISRO's technology and methods. Mangalyaan's original six-month mission is long over, but the orbiter will continue sending data as long as it remains functional.

India s Mars Orbiter Captures Striking View of Red Planet s Canyons - NBC News

 

[Vikrant]

Did you know that the Ophir Chasma is part of the largest canyon system in the solar system? It is hard to imagine anything grander than the Grand Canyon. I have hiked in Grand Canyon but now I want to hike in Ophir Chasma.

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The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) has published a detailed 3D image of Mars captured by its robotic probe Mangalyaan.
The image which was shot by Mangalyaan in late July is of the Ophir Chasma, a canyon in Mars, Isro said.
The agency added that the Ophir Chasma is part of the largest canyon system in the solar system.
India's launch of its Mars mission in September 2014 marked the first time a nation successfully sent a mission to the red planet on its first attempt.

India probe transmits new Mars image - BBC News

 

[Vikrant]

Ophir Chasma spans about 186 miles of the planet’s surface. That is grand.

India's Mars orbiter captures beautiful 3D images of the red planet