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[Space] ISRO Mars Orbiter Mission (MoM) Mangalyaan: Payloads, Purpose,Argument favor & against

1. Prologue2. Mars Planet: Basics3. Mars: Past missions4. MoM (ISRO) vs MAVEN (NASA)

1. MoM’s Launch Vehicle2. MoM @Mars3. Payloads and purpose?

5. Do we need Mars Mission?1. Anti-Arguments2. Pro-arguments

1. #1: cash will be recovered2. #2: Soft Power3. #3: Did not steal from poor’s month4. #4: Making History5. #5: Misc.

6. Mock Questions7. Correct Answers for the MCQs

Prologue

Old article, just updating a few bits after Mangalyaan reached Mars in September 2014.There is no dearth of ball by ball commentary and technical articles in newspaper, but for the exam focusshould be on: basics, purpose, pros and cons.Otherwise September seems to be the busiest and tiresome month of 2014 for competitive aspirants- ModiGovernment launching a new scheme-committee-initiative every day, SC giving a new landmark verdict

every day, newspapers are littered with columns on foreign relations, Ebola, Mars, ISIS, J&K floods, Scotlandand what not.

Mars Planet: Basics

Has two moons: Phobos and Deimos4th planet from Sun2nd smallest planet in the Solar system after Mercury.Diameter: ~6800 kms (Mars); Earth (~12700 kms)Volume wise, ~8 Mars would fit inside our Earth.One Martian day: 24 hours 37 minutesOne Martian year: 687 daysMars is also tilted on its axis (25 degrees).Mars gravity 1/10th of Earth.When Sun and Mars are in opposite direction, it can be easily observed from Earth.

How far is Mars from Earth?shortest farthest

56 million kms 400 million kms, when both are on opposite sides of solar system.

Mars: Past missionsList is not exhaustive

Success #EPICFAILS

USSR Mars orbiter (70s) USSR: Korabl series, Mars 1969 series, PhobosGrunt

USA / NASA

Marine series (~mid 60s)Viking series (mid 70s)Pathfinder (~mid 90s)Rovers: Spirt, Opportunity (2003)Phoenix (2007)Curiosity (2011)

USA Mariner series before mid-60s

Maven (2013-14)

European Space Agency (2003) Beagal lender (althoughimages lost)

Japan’s Nozomi- failed to enter Mars orbit (1998-2003)

ISRO’s Mars Orbitor Mission (2013-14)

MoM (ISRO) vs MAVEN (NASA)

ISRO’s MoM NASA’s MavenMars Orbitor Mission Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution Mission (MAVEN)launch vehicle=PSLV Atlas V rockets. (more powerful than PSLV)launched on 5th Nov 2013 18th Nov 2013reached Mars on 24th Sep 2014 Reached Mars on 21st Sep 2014.launched from Sriharikota, Andhra launched from Cape Canaveral in Florida, US.Rs.450 crore $671 million~1,350 kg ??Doing three studies:

1. Surface/geology: using cameraand spectrometer.

2. (Particle) Environment: usingMENCA

3. Atmosphere: using Photometerand Methane sensor

Only study Martian (upper) atmosphere.based on that data: It’ll give clues about martian climate, geologic,and geochemical conditions over timeWill find the answer: Did Mars ever had suitable environment tosupport life?

has five instruments/payloads has eight instrument- spectrograph, magnetometer, ion analyzer etc.– The spacecraft may also provide communications relay support for future

Mars landers and rovers.

MoM’s Launch Vehicle

PSLV GSLVPolar satellite launch vehicle Geosynchronous satellite launch vehicleCan carry upto 1600 kg satellite 2500kg

ISRO had used PSLV XL (C25) launch vehicle to launch the Mangalyaan (Mars spacecraft). Why?

1. At that time, GSLV tests were not successful. Last time they tried GSLV to launch GSAT-14 satellite andfailed because of fuel leak. (Aug 2013)

2. Mangalyaan weighs ~1300 kg. PSLV can easily carry this weight.3. PSLV is tried and tested technology.

Factoids

MoM/Mangalyaan: first Indian spacecraft to cross Earth’s escape velocity of 11.2 km per second.Mangalyaan traveled for ~300 days, covering ~65 crore kilometers, and reached Martian orbit in September2014.Mangalyan is not the fastest spacecraft to reach Mars. Others are far ahead of It, in terms of speed. Forexample- European Space Agency’s Mars mission (2003) reached Mars in ~210 days.MoM cost 7 rupees per kms to reach Mars.

MoM @Mars

Nov 2013: MoM Launched from Sriharikota, Andhra PradeshSep 2014: MoM reached Mars orbit

MoM in Mars OrbitPeriapsis: nearest point ~420 kmsApoapsis: farthest point ~77,000 kmstime to finish one circle of Mars ~73 hours / ~ 3 days.Orbit inclination 150 degrees

Payloads and purpose?

Q. What is the purpose of sending MoM?

Ans. To find out composition of Mar’s SAM (Surface – Atmosphere – Minerals), using five payloads/instruments:

Study Mars Payload detail

Surface 1.ColorCamera

Mars Color camera.Study surface, dust storms etc.Take photos of Mar’s satellites: Phobos and Deimos.

Atmosphere

2.MENCAGandhi

Mars Exospheric Neutral Composition Analyzer.To study neutral gas atoms in the Martian atmosphere.

3.MethaneSensor

Methane Sensor for Mars (MSM).If methane + water detected=possible that at some point of time, Mars hadsupported life form.

4.Photometer

Lyman Alpha Photometer (LAP).To Measure hydrogen and deuterium.Deuterium = heavier than hydrogen.Water made from heavy hydrogen isheavier and hence it evaporates differently.Knowing Hydrogen : Deuterium ratio will help answer how did water vanishfrom Mars?

Minerals 5.Spectrometer

Thermal Infrared Imaging spectrometer (TIS). To study mineral resources ofMarsAnd to help UPSC update its Mains GS1 syllabus: Distribution of key naturalresources across the Earth AND Mars.

ISTRAC

ISRO Telemetry, Tracking & Command Network @Banglore.Previously tracked and commanded Chandrayaan-1Now doing the same for Mars orbiter.

Do we need Mars Mission?

(For Group Discussion GD/Interview)

Anti-Arguments

1. Crores of rupee wasted- could be used to feed millions of hungry people in India. Millions of childrensuffering from malnutrition, half the junta doesn’t have toilets- Modi himself highlighting this issue in hisevery speech.

2. Better get those thousands of ISRO scientists and engineers to comeup with new technology tofix malnutrition and malnutrition.

3. ISRO’s budget is better spent to meet India’s communication needs and bring down digital divide.4. Even Airtel has sued ISRO for not meeting its contract obligations. So, ISRO better focus on present rather

than doing some mars research whose benefits can materialize may be after 100-200 years.5. ISRO has installed a fancy methane detector in this spacecraft. But NASA’s curiosity rover data has already

concluded that Mars environment doesn’t contain methane. ISRO is only doing gaddha majoori (donkey labour).Counter argument: NASA’s Curiosity rover measured presence of methane in a small area. But ISRO willscan entire Martian environment to detect Methane.

6. GSLV testing has not giving positive result yet. Had they waited for GSLV testing to finish- Mars Missioncould be done in 2016. (Even Chandrayan-2 project is stalled due to this GSLV problem). But it seems ISROchairman wants media publicity before retiring, so made he all the haste to launch Mars Mission in 2013using PSLV (instead of GSLV).

7. Less of a scientific pursuit and more of a space race with China- ‘me too’ going on Mars. First India shouldovertake China in terms of GDP and poverty removal.

8. Britain, Japan, World Bank etc. reduce the donation to India thinking “since India has lot of money of runsuch Mars adventures, they must have money to take care of their poors as well.”

(To drag the argument further non-seriously)

1. This is just publicity stunt to divert attention from real issues. Earlier Chandryaan found traces of water onMoon, then Aaj-tak etc. Hindi channels ran 24/7 reports for weeks. In the meantime government can go scotfree with bigger scams and inflation.

2. And most importantly, the youngsters have to mugup one more stupid topic for the competitive exams. Thefinancial cost of combined man-hours wasted in studying such topics= alone worth 13% of GDP, so much forDemographic dividend.

Pro-arguments

#1: cash will be recovered

At the core of “Anti” arguments= Cash that ISRO has wasted in this Mars project. But in reality it’s an investmentthat will be recovered within a few decades, How?

1. Many countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America are seeing good economic growth. But they lack skilledmanpower, technology and budget to setup their own launch vehicles and premier space agencies.

2. But they too need satellites for communication and military. So, they outsource the satellite launch/surveywork to established players.

3. ISRO’s commercial Arm ANTRIX makes annual profit of ~100 crore rupees from such ‘outsourced’contracts.

4. ISRO spent only 450 crore rupees. NASA has spent billions of dollars on Mars. This Makes ISRO world-famous as a prudent cost saving space agency= more clients via its commercial arm ANTRIX = more moneyincoming.

So, we can see this Mars mission as ISRO’s 450 crore rupees advertisement / PR campaign- to impress thosepotential ‘clients’ and get more contracts=> money will be recovered and profit will be made.

#2: Soft Power

As ISRO establishes reputation, gets more contracts from third world- it can be used as a tool to exercise softpower. How?

give take

personnel /technology exchangeprograms with developing countriesgiving discounts on their spaceprojects/infrastructure

their support for India’s claim to Permanent seat in UNSCtheir votes in our favour whenever Kashmir/Arunachalissues popup in UN General AssemblyOil-gas exploration contracts in their territory …and soon.

In short, there is more to international relations than what meets the eyes. 450 crore is a very petty amount toaccomplish many diplomatic victories- [compared to the thousands of crore rupees we’ve given to Bangladesh,Myanmar, Nepal and Bhutan via “soft” loans so they don’t shelter terrorists and secessionists on their soil.]

#3: Did not steal from poor’s month

1. Government spends barely ~0.35% of budget on space programs. And even out of that ~0.35% allocation,ISRO spent only 8% on Mars Missions. There are plenty of government schemes with way bigger budgetaryallotments for poor people. So it’s not like government stopped/reduced expenditure on some xyz scheme forpoors to fund ISRO’s Mars adventure.

2. Agreed, poverty should be removed, and everyone must get food security. But the proposed food security billwill need ~1-2 lakh crores rupees every year.

3. Even If ISRO didn’t spend 450 crores on Mars, the money thus saved- won’t make a big contribution to food

security anyways.

#4: Making History

Until now, only three agencies had succeeded in Mars Mission1. European Space Agency (ESA) of European consortium,2. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of the US3. Roscosmos of Russia4. And ISRO became the fourth one.

Even USA, Japan and China failed to reach mars in their first attempt.Overall, 51 missions made so far, only 21 have succeeded.ISRO’s Mars mission succeeded in its first attempt (that too without coaching), hence it’s a milestone in thehistory of space explorations.Even China has applauded this event as “pride of Asia”.

#5: Misc.

1. Will attract talented desi scientist/engineers to join ISRO. Thus, braindrain will decline.2. Data gathered from ISRO’s mission, can be used to send manned mission (astronauts) on Mars later, with

collaboration of NASA etc.3. The technology used in this mission has potential application in weather forecast, computer tech, health-

medicine etc. in future.4. Space research is not waste of time. 1990 Odisha cyclone killed >10000 people. But 2013 cyclone Phalin

killed very few, because Indian satellite gave accurate weather prediction about where and when the stormwould hit. Space research has given immense benefits to Agriculture, education, fisheries and defense.(Counter argument: then send more weather/education satellites- not spacecraft’s to Moon and Mars!)

5. Humanity would not have progressed, if we had not taken such leaps into the unknown. And space is indeedthe biggest unknown out there.

Mock Questions

Q1. Mars is larger / higher than Earth in terms of

1. gravity

2. diameter3. no. of moons4. days in a year

Correct choices

A. All of themB. Only 3 and 4C. Only 1, 3 and 4D. None of them

Q2. Which of the following missions have failed to reach Mars?

1. Viking2. Phobos3. Nozomi

Correct choices

A. Only 1 and 2B. Only 2 and 3C. Only 1 and 3D. All of them

Q3. Why did ISRO’s Mangalyaan or MoM used PSLV instead of GSLV as launch vehicle?

a. PSLV can carry more weight than GSLVb. PSLV could carry MoM’s weight and had proven track record of success.c. Both A and Bd. Neither A nor B

Q4. Similarities between ISRO’s MoM and NASA’s MAVEN missions?

1. Both lack Land rovers2. Both aim to study Martian atmosphere3. Both were launched and reached Mars in the same months.

Correct statements are

A. Only 1 and 2B. Only 2 and 3C. Only 1 and 3D. All of them

Q5. What’s the purpose of ISRO’s Mars mission?

1. Study its surface2. study its atmosphere3. Study its mineral composition

Correct statements are

A. Only 1 and 2B. Only 2 and 3C. Only 1 and 3D. All of them

Q6. Incorrect pairs of ISRO Mars payloads vs. purpose

1. MENCA: Methane and Natural gas2. Spectrometer: study surface and dust storms3. Photometer: Study Hydrogen and deuterium

Answer choices

A. Only 1 and 2B. Only 2 and 3C. Only 1 and 3D. None of them

Mains

1. “India, a country faced with plethora of socio-economic problems, should not involve in space race withdeveloped countries.” Do you agree? Justify your stand. 200 words

2. Discuss the importance of ISRO’s MoM Mission as a milestone event in the space exploration programs ofIndia. 200 words.

3. Write an Essay: The hunger of exploration and the thrill of discovery are not for the faint-hearted.

Correct Answers for the MCQs

1. B: only 3 (moons) and 4 (year)2. B: 2 and 3 phobos and nazomi3. only B4. D all correct5. D study SAM: Surface-atmosphere –minerals6. A: 1 and 2 wrong. MENCA is for neutral gas, not Natural gas.

Published on 26/09/2014 @ 9:07 pm under Category: Current Affairs Weekly

URL to article: http://mrunal.org/2014/09/space-isro-mars-orbiter-mission-mom-mangalyan-payloads-nasa-maven.html