ISRO's Mangalyaan Celebrates 4th Birthday Around Mars, Sends Never-Before-Seen Pics Of Planet
The Mars Orbiter Mission has just completed four years orbiting the red planet. Launched earlier in 2013, its India¡¯s first mission to outer space. And now, to celebrate its fourth birthday, the satellite sent back some stellar images of Mars.
The Mars Orbiter Mission has just completed four years orbiting the red planet. Launched earlier in 2013, its India¡¯s first mission to outer space.
And now, to celebrate its birthday, the satellite sent back some stellar images of Mars.
Images courtesy: ISRO
ISRO launched the Mars Orbiter on November 5, 2013 which placed itself into orbit around the red planet by September 24, 2014. Though the satellite was only designed for a six-month-long mission, it¡¯s continued to beam back data to the Indian space agency for four years. The satellite tweeted out the celebration, including a picture of Mars¡¯ Olympus Mons.
#ISROMIssions
¡ª ISRO's Mars Orbiter (@MarsOrbiter) September 25, 2018
It's been 4 years since I am around!
Thank you for your love and support. @isro pic.twitter.com/ry89iilKCV
The Mars Orbiter has been able to survive because it was built with full autonomy capability. It frequently goes into hibernation to conserve power, but came back online to send images back on the occasion.
It¡¯s also the only Mars satellite that¡¯s been able to capture the planet¡¯s whole disc in a single frame, as well as the far side of its moon Deimos. It¡¯s capture over 890 images of the red planet and its neighbours so far, helping Indian scientists map out the surface for the Mars Atlas initiative.
#ISROMissions
¡ª ISRO (@isro) September 24, 2018
It's been four years since @MarsOrbiter successfully got inserted into Martian orbit on September 24, 2014 in its first attempt. #MOM's mission life was expected to be six months! So far, the Mars Colour Camera has acquired 980+ images. Mars Atlas is also ready. pic.twitter.com/z4GGkGvl0C
