India's 2013 Mars mission

[DocM]

Our Indian friends have sent satellites to the moon, so why not? They've come a long way fast.

AsianScientist....

Indian Scientists Propose 10 Experiments For 2013 Mission To Mars

AsianScientist (Jan. 9, 2012) ? A Indian mission to Mars is taking shape with space scientists proposing 10 experiments, mostly related to the study of the Red Planet?s atmosphere.

Proof that this challenging mission is no longer a dream is amply evident in a report of the Planetary Sciences and Exploration conference, organized by the Ahmedabad-based Planex group of the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), an affiliate of ISRO, between December 12 and 14, 2011.

The report shows that scientists from various ISRO centers and the PRL are extremely enthusiastic about the flight to the Red Planet, and are awaiting a formal ?go? from ISRO, the Space Commission, and the Union Cabinet.

As a precursor to the mission, a Mars Mission Study Team has already been formed to prepare the science and mission scenarios for ISRO.

In addition, a brainstorming session on Mars science and exploration was held at the PRL on March 24 and 25, 2011, as a preparatory step for ISRO?s Mars exploration plans. This two-day session served as an initial platform for scientists and students to fuel up their proposals and plans for an Indian Mars mission.

The December conference report states that the 10 Indian Martian experiments suggested are:

Probe For Infrared Spectroscopy for Mars (Prism) which will study certain aspects of the Martian atmosphere and ?spatial and seasonal variations of these gases over the lifetime of the mission.?

Mars Exospheric Neutral Composition Analyzer (Menca) which will analyze the Martian upper atmosphere-exosphere region 400 km above the surface.

Another instrument (Tis) will measure thermal emissions from the surface of the Red Planet. Its primary science goals include mapping the surface composition and mineralogy of Mars and understanding the dynamics of the Martian atmosphere by monitoring carbon dioxide levels.

Using radio signals to study the atmosphere.

Mars Color Camera (MCC) which can image from a highly elliptical orbit of 500 km x 80,000 km. It will be designed as a multi-purpose instrument which can image the topography of the Martian surface and map Martian polar caps. ?It is expected to observe and help in furthering our understanding of events like dust storms and dust devils. From an elliptical orbit around Mars, the camera will return high quality visual images of Mars, its moons, asteroids and other celestial bodies from close quarters,? the report states.

A Methane Sensor For Mars (MSM) has been recommended for detecting methane in the Martian atmosphere.

A Mars Radiation Spectrometer (Maris) which can measure and characterize charged particle background levels during the cruise and orbit phase of the spacecraft. This instrument will play an important role for a possible future human mission to Mars as it will determine radiation exposure doses.

A Plasma and Current Experiment (Pace) which will assess what is known as ?atmospheric escape and processes of the Martian atmosphere and the structure of the Martian tail.?

A microwave remote sensing technique for sounding the Martian atmosphere. Scientists connected with this instrument say that it will be designed to be minimally affected during a dust storm.

A suite of instruments to detect plasma waves in the Martian atmosphere.

If this much-awaited mission finally gets off the ground with the required approvals, only some of the 10 experiments and payloads will be selected, with a focus on experiments that have not been done before, sources tell Asian Scientist Magazine.

Mars fever has gripped many scientists at the PRL, with an Indian chapter of the Mars Society formed at IIT-Mumbai.

Planning for the Mars lift off has progressed to such an extent that the provisional launch windows have already been fixed for either 2013, 2016, or 2018 from Sriharikota, India?s main spaceport near Chennai.

According to the scientists, if the launch takes place in November 2013, then the Indian spacecraft will enter the orbit around Mars in September 2014. It will be an orbiting mission and not a landing one. On reaching Mars after a 10-month flight, the spacecraft will operate and pick up scientific data in a highly elliptical orbit of 500 km x 80,000 km.

Some scientists even feel that the mission to Mars must be given precedence over the second Indian mission to the moon, Chandrayaan-2, since India has already done a lunar mission successfully.

[Angel Blue01]

Good for India :)

[DocM]

Can't help but think that if they make it on their first try it'll be a bitter pill for Russia.

[neoadorable]

go go go India! yes! this is awesome. more competition, more pressure, more forward momentum! we should all be doing this together. i applaud this initiative, and if they can indeed launch next year..that would be super impressive!

[IceBreakerG]

Is anyone else thinking "they'll make it there, but they won't make it back?"

[Astra.Xtreme]

Awesome! I hope they can stick to the schedule and make everybody chase them. A little motivation is what the science world needs.

[DocM]

Is anyone else thinking "they'll make it there, but they won't make it back?"

It's a probe, not a crew ship - though they have a crew vehicle in development. Looks a bit like SpaceX's Dragon with more vertical sidewalls vs. NASA's Apollo or Orion for extra internal volume.

[neoadorable]

are they also planning a rover?

[DocM]

Nth this trip - just an orbiter. If that works out Katie bar the doors because they're serious.

[neoadorable]

Katie bar the doors...heh heh good one. I sure hope they're serious, the more contenders the better. What's their launch vehicle though? And why not go full hog and send an orbiter, lander and rover?

[Soulsiphon]

Katie bar the doors...heh heh good one. I sure hope they're serious, the more contenders the better. What's their launch vehicle though? And why not go full hog and send an orbiter, lander and rover?

Because after the exhaustive trip there with landing, the tech needed to relaunch, break Mars and get back to Earth does not yet exist. Or did you mean unmanned orbiters, landers, and rovers?

Nobody folks, and I mean NOBODY is going manned to Mars in anyone reading here's lifetime.

[123456789A]

Nobody folks, and I mean NOBODY is going manned to Mars in anyone reading here's lifetime.

Once they find gold on Mars, they'll be there in a few years.

[DocM]

Katie bar the doors...heh heh good one. I sure hope they're serious, the more contenders the better. What's their launch vehicle though? And why not go full hog and send an orbiter, lander and rover?

Right now main launcher is the rough equivalent of Falcon 9 Block I - about 10 metric tons to orbit. This would let them get a payload to the Martian surface, but of limited scope. For a real good mission they need something that could orbit at least 30 metric tons and they're making excellent progress. A superheavy is also being worked on, but my guess is its major work will wait until the medium lifter is finished.

As for India's manned program - their manned spaceflight budget is only $1B less than that of the US. They have already orbited and recovered a subscale capsule prototype, and have 2 more test flights of larger versions for the near future. The first flight of their Dragon proportioned Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) is penciled in for 2016. They also have an ongoing astronaut training program.

The Indian CEV

[UndergroundWire]

Well at least if they run into any trouble and have to call support, they will be able to understand the other person on the line.

[Biotoxic_hazard_835]

Everyday you learn somthing new. I didn't even knew India had a space program.

[Gerowen]

And this will be the guy they send, cause' they don't have to worry about feeding him.

Story

[DocM]

Everyday you learn somthing new. I didn't even knew India had a space program.

Here's more news: they're building a nuclear sub fleet. The 367 foot (112 meter) ballistic missile sub Arihant, their first in class, should enter service this year.

[neoadorable]

Thanks for the info Doc, this is really exciting and I hope India has the balls to do what needs to be done.

And soulsiphon, I know you're a regular and its also my policy to ignore trolling, but in this case you're being a total idiot. The tech to go to Mars has existed since we mastered basic rocketry and life support. The technology to go to other star systems has existed since we developed those two and nuclear power. I think you should change your handle to IQsiphon for a week as punishment for that post.

[Duffydemon]

Everyday you learn somthing new. I didn't even knew India had a space program.

India has lots of thing people don't know about, yesterday a guy from US asked me " i dint know you guys have computers ". lol

But good to see my country progressing in right direction. Best of luck to our space guys :)

[neoadorable]

Indeed all the best to India's space program. As for that question you were were asked, was it soulsiphon by accident that did the asking? Just kidding!

[neo1911]

I for one wish my country focuses more on problems at hand :(

[kaffra]

Thanks for the info Doc, this is really exciting and I hope India has the balls to do what needs to be done.

And soulsiphon, I know you're a regular and its also my policy to ignore trolling, but in this case you're being a total idiot. The tech to go to Mars has existed since we mastered basic rocketry and life support. The technology to go to other star systems has existed since we developed those two and nuclear power. I think you should change your handle to IQsiphon for a week as punishment for that post.

the tech might be there, but saying we mastered it is way too optimistic

[DocM]

True - there's a ways to go yet.

On the downside;

I just heard that India is slowing down their launch schedule a bit due to the Russian problems. They use a few Russian designs transferred due to a space cooperation agreement, and given the events of the last year (P-G etc.) India wants to make sure those bugs haven't crept into their program.

As to India taking care of other things instead of space: there is a LOT of money to be made launching communications satellites, both new and especially replacements for worn out ones. India wants, and is getting, some of that market. This can pay for some of those other priorities, but like any other new business you first need to invest in the infrastructure; in this case rockets and launch facilities.

Manned flight gets them ready not only for science missions but for satellite servicing missions. As commsats evolve larger and larger it becomes viable to fix or refuel them in place. Think Hubble, but at 36,000 miles up.

[DocM]

India's almost ready to set a launch date for their Mars orbiter. Looks like November of 2013.

http://t.co/1393mQms

Good luck guys :) :woot:

[Duffydemon]

Yeah i was reading about it in newspaper today, sounds sweet.