ISRO performs crucial manoeuvre, successfully test-fires Main liquid Engine
On its 300-day space odyssey, Mars Orbiter Mission, Mangalyaan, on Monday successfully passed a crucial test ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)’s telemetry centre in Bangalore on Wednesday. According to ISRO scientists, Main liquid Engine of Mangalyaan, which had been dormant for nearly 300 days, was successfully test-fired.
The space scientists also performed a crucial Trajectory Correction Manoeuvre (TCM), which was configured for verifying the performance of the Main liquid Engine to determine the strategy for Mars Orbit Insertion (MOI) on September 24.
According to ISRO Chairman K Radhakrishnan, the crucial tests were performed successfully and the Mangalyaan was in good health. “With Monday’s critical manoeuvre our confidence level has gone up since it proves that the spacecraft is in its pink of health,” he said.
If the MOI is carried out successfully on September 24, India will become the first country ever to send spacecraft to the Red Planet in its first attempt. Only 21 out of a total of 51 mars missions have been successful, none of them on debut.
In a statement, the ISRO said it they would go ahead with the critical final orbit injection plan as Monday’s test proved a success. “Test firing successful and we had a perfect burn for four seconds as programmed. The trajectory has been corrected. MOM will now go ahead with the nominal plan for Mars Orbit Insertion,” it said.
According to ISRO scientists, the spacecraft reached the Martian gravitational sphere of influence, which has a radius of 5.8 lakh kilometres. After the entry into Mars’ gravitational field, pyro valves were opened in the Orbiter. The propellant lines are enabled for orbit insertion, and create a path for the propellant, known as rocket fuel, to reach the main liquid engine.
They said that as the spacecraft entered the Mars’ influence, its velocity has to be controlled so that it does not escape Mars’ gravitational influence. The spacecraft is scheduled to start orbit insertion at 7:30 am IST on September 24 in the presence of the Prime Minister. The speed of the spacecraft will be reduced to a smooth transition into the Martian orbit. A source in the ISRO told The Pioneer that Modi will sit with a group of space scientists at the ISRO’s command centre on September 24 to witness the final workout on the spacecraft. According to scientists, ISRO aims to capture the space technology market ahead of China.
The Rs 450-crore Mars Orbiter Mission, was launched from ISRO’s spaceport at Sriharikota on November 5 last year. This has made India enter a league of select nation which have proved their prowess in conquering the Red Planet.
The Mangalyaan aims to study Mars’ surface and mineral composition, and scan its atmosphere for methane, a chemical strongly tied to life on Earth.