{"id":8867,"date":"2014-09-21T13:40:02","date_gmt":"2014-09-21T17:40:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=8867"},"modified":"2014-09-22T20:20:04","modified_gmt":"2014-09-23T00:20:04","slug":"indias-mom-probe-to-enter-mars-orbit-on-sept-24th","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=8867","title":{"rendered":"India’s MOM probe to enter Mars orbit on Sept. 24th"},"content":{"rendered":"

[ Update<\/strong> Sept.22.14:\u00a0The 4 second test of the engine was successful:\u00a0Mangalyaan engine test-fire successful, all set for Mars now – Hindustan Times<\/a>.]<\/p>\n

Following jus two days after the arrival of NASA’s MAVEN spacecraft\u00a0at Mars (see previous post<\/a>), India’s\u00a0Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM)<\/a>\u00a0probe will go into orbit around the Red Planet on Wednesday September 24th.<\/p>\n

This is the first deep space mission by India. The probe was launched into earth orbit on Nov. 5, 2013 via a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle<\/a> (PSLV) rocket from the Sriharikota spaceport in Andhra Pradeshand.<\/p>\n

\"pslv-c25-24[1]\"<\/a><\/p>\n

On\u00a0Dec. 1,\u00a02013 MOM\u00a0fired its engine to send it on a trajectory to intersect with Mars this week.<\/p>\n

\"trajectory-design1[1]\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

On Monday Sept. 22, there will be a brief 4 second firing test of the engine to insure it is still working correctly after its long dormancy.\u00a0Then on\u00a0Wednesday MOM will fire the engine for\u00a024 minutes to go into orbit around Mars.<\/p>\n

A top goal of the\u00a0Mars Orbiter Mission<\/a>\u00a0is to strengthen the\u00a0technical capabilities\u00a0of the Indian space program. The scientific goals<\/a> of the mission are to study the Martian atmosphere and the\u00a0morphology and mineralogy of the planet’s surface.<\/p>\n

Articles about the mission:<\/p>\n