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The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) commenced the pre-countdown activities of the Mars Mission at 08:45 hrs on Saturday. On Friday, ISRO's top scientists met and gave their nod to launch the PSLV-C25 Orbiter.
ISRO today said, "Pre-count down activities of the Mission commenced at 08:45 hrs on Saturday after the Launch Authorisation Board approved and cleared the PSLV-C25/Mars Orbiter Mission launch for November 5, 2013 at 14:38 hrs (IST). The 56 and half hour countdown for the launch will begin on November 3, 2013 at 06:08 hrs (IST)."
All these developments come after a chain of successful events at the Sriharikota space station, around 108 kms from Chennai. On October 31, 2013, ISRO successfully held the launch rehearsal of PSLV-C25/Mars Orbiter Mission and after the over eight long hours rehearsal, ISRO said that the Vehicle systems powered and health is normal.
The pre-countdown activities for ISRO's Mars Orbiter Mission commenced this morning with the filling of Strontium Perchlorate injectant in the Secondary Injection Thrust Vector Control (SITVC) System of the First stage of PSLV C25.?
?SITVC system enables Pitch and Yaw control during the thrust phase of the first stage solid motor of PSLV.?
During the rehearsal, except for igniting the spacecraft, everything was tested including satellite battery check-up and withdrawing of the mobile service tower. Checking of various technical parameters, including electrical activities was also conducted and ISRO expressed their satisfaction of the outcome.
Earlier on October 30, 2013 the Spacecraft & Launch Vehicle integrated level checks were completed and preparations for Launch Rehearsal was under progress. On October 22, 2013 ISRO integrated the spacecraft with the Launcher PSLV-C25. The heat shield closure activity was also completed.
The XL variant of the PSLV has been designed to first inject the spacecraft into an elliptical path around the earth in a geocentric phase and then a heliocentric phase, where the flight path is roughly one half an ellipse around the sun.
One of the unique features of the mission arises from the larger ‘Argument of Perigee’ in transferring the orbiter from the earth’s orbit to that of Mars. If everything goes as per plan on December 1, the satellite would be injected into trans-Martian orbit and begin a long cruise of 300 days. The insertion into Martian orbit is expected on September 24, 2014.
The spacecraft would intersect the orbit of Mars almost simultaneously. According to experts, who were quoted in media, such a rare trajectory ? that occurs when the Earth, Mars and the Sun form an angle of 44 degrees ? can offer substantial minimum energy opportunities and occur only at intervals of about 780 days, with the next window possible in January 2016 and then in May 2018.
ISRO's Chairman K Radhakrishnan is confident this launch will be successful on November 5. He noted, that there have been only 51 missions to Mars, predominantly by the US, Russia and the European Union consortium, and the success rate has been less than 50%.
