As India proves a point beyond its space exploratory capabilities by sending its spacecraft Mangalyaan to the Red Planet, it started beaming pictures of Mars from day one of its orbit insertion. In fact, a team of ISRO scientists on Thursday presented the first pictures of the Red Planet sent by Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) spacecraft to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi.
The team, led by ISRO Chairman K Radhakrishnan and ISRO Scientific Secretary V Koteswara Rao, met the Prime Minister in Delhi and handed over pictures of Mars sent by MOM to the PM. After winning the Red Planet marathon in its first attempt ISRO’s MOM sent photos show crater marked surface of the Mars. According to a space scientist at ISRO, the MOM has been so gentle in obeying the command and has started sending photos which are critical to analyse for further studies.
According to V Koteshwara Rao, Scientific Secretary at ISRO, MOM has taken a dozen photos which were crucial link for future studies.
He said, “After MOM landed, the colour camera on board started working. In fact, soon after Orbiter stabilised in its path it has taken a dozen quality pictures of its surface and its surroundings. The MOM is in its pink of health and all its parameters are functioning well. The MOM will also take the pictures of two moons of the Red Planet.”
In its 300 days odyssey, Indian Mars Orbiter Mission has now entered the Martian path and started sending pictures. India became the first country in the world to send a spacecraft in its maiden effort. The Rs450-crore Indian Mars Mission spacecraft as said by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was cheaper than Hollywood movie Gravity. In its six months stay at Red Planet, the MOM will search for evidence of life there.
After successful launch, PM Modi said, “India has become the first country to enter Mars orbit on a maiden mission.” “History has been created today with India reaching Mars. ISRO has joined an elite group of countries to reach Mars,” he said. “It was built indigenously, in a pan-Indian effort, stretching from Bangalore to Bhubhaneshwar, and Faridabad to Rajkot.”
“Our budget is even lesser than a Hollywood blockbuster. These will go down as landmarks in history,” Narendra Modi added.