Indian Mars Mission

[Swift]

From CBS News

India plans to send a spacecraft to Mars next year on a scientific mission critics say shows the governing party's skewed priorities when people lack electricity and safe drinking water.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced the 4.5 billion rupee ($82 million) mission during a speech Wednesday marking the 65th anniversary of India's independence from British rule.

"This spaceship to Mars will be a huge step for us in the area of science and technology," he said.

The spacecraft will orbit Mars to collect data after its launch in November 2013 on a frequently used rocket developed by the Indian Space Research Organization.

India has had an active space program since the 1960s and has launched scores of satellites for itself and other countries.

In 2008, India successfully sent a probe to the moon that detected evidence of water on the lunar surface for the first time. India is also planning a rover mission to the moon and is awaiting budgetary approval for a manned space mission.

I checked a bunch of news sources and all of them spent a lot of time discussing the "controversey" and the massive power failure they had recently, with virtually no details on the mission itself.

I also checked the Indian Space Research Organization website and couldn't even find a press release about it.

[mutleyeng]

theres this from the Hindu Times

The spacecraft will be placed in an orbit of 500 x 80,000 km around Mars and has a tentative scientific objective for studying the climate, geology, origin, evolution and sustainability of life on the planet.

Scientific payloads for the Mars Orbiter Mission have been short-listed by ISRO’s Advisory Committee for Space Sciences (ADCOS) review committee.

Baseline, solar array and reflector configuration of the satellite have been finalised, officials said.


so its more a Mars Express Kinda highly elliptical orbit

Just looking at that though, they must knock their stuff up pretty quick if its for a november 2013 launch

[Swift]

It seems a little strange that they plan to launch in 15 months and they are just now finalizing the design.

[crosscountry]

or that they would choose an unfavorable launch window 2 months before the optimal one.

How long did we take to build Mariner 9?

[ravens_cry]

Well, I wish them the best. Only NASA seems to have much success with Mars, though not for lack of trying. The Soviet Mars probes read like a litany of woe.

[Romanus]

How long did we take to build Mariner 9?

Probably not long, as it was just a souped-up Mariner 6/7 design.

It's perhaps worth noting that no country's first Mars mission has ever succeeded.

[slang]

Only NASA seems to have much success with Mars, though not for lack of trying.

*cough*

[NEOWatcher]

It's perhaps worth noting that no country's first Mars mission has ever succeeded.

Is that true? According to the chart on Wiki, Mars Express was the first ESA mission and it was a success.

Just looking at that though, they must knock their stuff up pretty quick if its for a november 2013 launch

Or delay their announcements for quite some time.

[mutleyeng]

Well Mars Express was a success, but Beagle 2 wasnt.
Mind you, thats mostly because Beagle was seen very much as an add on secondary objective - so i dont really think too much can be read into that.
At least, thats what Im telling myself if Exomars gets off the ground

[MaDeR]

Well, I can't help wonder if they will end up like Nozomi or worse. Space do not forgive even smallest mistake. Japan problems with Hayabusa, Nozomi or Akatsuki show they are almost exactly on line between being good and bad in it - and reminds that NASA does not have it easy, only make it looking easy.

It is hard to imagine less experienced India will be better than Japan.

[Romanus]

Re Mars Express: IMO, I consider it a stretch; the orbiter/lander was a composite project with the input of many ESA members. Even if say, the French built most of it (I don't know if they did; I'm just saying), it was never marketed as a "French" mission, or as one of any specific country.

[mutleyeng]

thats a bit unfair - the reason we have ESA is so that we can do composite projects. In fact, the way ESA works, you wouldnt ever get a single nation having such a role within the organisation.

[DoggerDan]

What's behind the competition? I'd have thought that we'd have been able to pool our efforts by now. The ESA's doing a good job of that.

[slang]

Re Mars Express: IMO, I consider it a stretch; the orbiter/lander was a composite project with the input of many ESA members. Even if say, the French built most of it (I don't know if they did; I'm just saying), it was never marketed as a "French" mission, or as one of any specific country.

That's right, Mars Express is a European mission, under the flag of ESA. Beagle2 however was distinctly "marketed" as a British, non-ESA project, mostly seperated from Mars Express (while acknowledging that there always needed to be cooperation on interfaces, communication and whatnot). AFAIK none of the other seperate components of Mars Express were treated like that. Sow how is it a stretch? I don't understand what you mean.

[Romanus]

I meant that it was--strictly IMO--a stretch to call Mars Express a fully successful first "country" mission, in response to NEO's post. Beagle, as aforementioned, was a "British" mission. Anywho, that's just my op; one should take a wait-and-see with any Mars mission.

[slang]

I meant that it was--strictly IMO--a stretch to call Mars Express a fully successful first "country" mission, in response to NEO's post. Beagle, as aforementioned, was a "British" mission. Anywho, that's just my op; one should take a wait-and-see with any Mars mission.

I'm sorry, I see now.. I mixed up ravens_cry's and your posts in my head, thus losing your specific mention of a country.

[NEOWatcher]

I meant that it was--strictly IMO--a stretch to call Mars Express a fully successful first "country" mission, in response to NEO's post.

I took the original comment not to be literally a "country", but rather in the spirit of the organizations formed for spaceflight by the governments of countries. (actually, more like any entity that has attempted a Mars mission)

But; I suppose if you want to nitpick, Mars Express was a countries' mission and not a country's mission.

[slang]

A little update on this from the Planetary Society: Mangalyaan, India's 2013 Mars mission, is now under construction

[FarmMarsNow]

I think it will be pretty cool for India to get one out to Mars. I hope they do, and I hope they get the space bug.

[publiusr]

I can't wait 'till they launch their Delta IV heavy class GSLV III: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geosync...Vehicle_Mk_III