Why the Mars Mission was an impossible task for India but made possible by ISR ?. Some notes by Dr Mayank Vahia (Scientist TIFR) to DNA news with my inputs (a) Make a small, 1350 kg class satellite to go 25 crore (250 million) kilometre and study another planet in the Solar System. (b) Use one of the smallest commercial rockets in the world to launch it in such a way that the Earth is used as a slingshot to power the satellite on its way to Mars. (c) Do this within a budget of 450 crore Rupees (65 Million dollars). (d) Design a mission with just 15 kg of scientific instruments, 470 kg of other instruments that can do good science. (e) Achieve it in a span of 15 months. (Q1) Why it was necessary to launch it on 5th Nov 2013.? Because on this day mars would be closest to the Earth with the next opportunity to launch coming only in 2016 or 2022! (Q2) What about the human efforts taken for this mission? Normally the European Space agency (ESA) and NASA work for 35 hrs-40hrs/ week or less,but ISRO scientists worked for 90 hrs for this mission .The mission directors and other important scientists even spend 18 -20 hrs everyday preparing for the mission regularly giving their quarters a miss ! Anyone who knows space engineering will tell you that to achieve each of these individually is next to impossible, hence ISRO team deserve full credit.
Posted on: Fri, 08 Nov 2013 09:39:29 +0000
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