The Mars Orbiter Mission (MoM) has completed three years as against its stipulated life span of six months in its orbit on 24 September 2017 and continues to send “valuable” data and pictures of Mars’ surface.
This, besides other important achievements, have been enlisted by the department of space in the year-end review of its achievements during 2017.
“Mars Colour Camera on-board MOM has acquired more than 700 images of Martian surface. MOM atlas is published and updates on MOM images are regularly provided on ISRO website,” a Space department press note said..
“ISRO and Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)/NASA are jointly working on the development of Dual Frequency (L&S band) Synthetic Aperture Radar Imaging Satellite named as NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR),” it added.
“The satellite will be useful in mapping and monitoring of natural resources; estimating agricultural biomass over full duration of crop cycle; assessing soil moisture; monitoring of floods and oil slicks; coastal erosion, coastline changes and variation of winds…,” the note stated.
In a significant feat, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched 104 satellites, in one go, on board PSLV-C37 on 15 February 2017 and 31 satellites, in a single launch, on-board PSLV-C38 on 23 June 2017.
Similarly, India’s Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark-II (GSLV-F09) successfully launched the 2230 kg South Asia Satellite (GSAT-9) into its planned Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) on 5 May 2017.
In another milestone, the first developmental flight (GSLV MkIII-D1) of India’s heavy lift launch vehicle GSLV Mk-III was successfully carried out on 5 June 2017 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR, Sriharikota, with the launch of GSAT-19 satellite.
“AstroSat, India’s multi-wavelength space telescope also completed two years in orbit during the year,” the Space Department note added.