India launching first #Mars mission #Mangalyaan

After the successful mission to Moon (Chandrayaan-I), India is heading to Mars!

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is launching  Mangalyaan using the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). The planned launch date is Nov 5th, 2013.   The Mangalyaan will carry five scientific payloads which include: 

1. Methane Sensor For Mars (MSM), 
2. Mars Color Camera (MCC), 
3. Mars Exospheric Neutral Composition Analyzer (MENCA), 
4. TIR Spectrometer (TIS), and 
5. Lyman-Alpha Photometer (LAP). 

It will also use Indian Deep Space Network (IDSN), as well as NASA deep space network for navigation and tracking during its mission. The spacecraft is expected to take nearly 300 days to reach the Martian orbit.

It is quite impressive that ISRO has pulled it up in such a short time. The next fuel-saving Hohmann transfer orbit opens  in 2016. If successful, ISRO would become the fourth space agency to reach Mars, after Roscosmos, NASA, and ESA.

ISRO in Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/pages/ISROs-Mars-Orbiter-Mission/1384015488503058?directed_target_id=0

Read more...

• http://www.nbcnews.com/science/india-plans-launch-first-mars-mission-test-large-rocket-year-6C10714150
• http://www.planetary.org/blogs/emily-lakdawalla/2013/04011229-isros-mars-mission-now.html
• http://iipdigital.usembassy.gov/st/english/texttrans/2013/03/20130322144724.html#axzz2PF1pO4Vc

Curiosity @ Mars #msl

Curiosity will be landing on Mars this week.
You can follow it @MarsCuriosity
We wish the curiosity rover a nice journey and (√) a smooth landing.


The mission will take about 8 months to reach Mars.
Lets start with a minute video.



Here is the animation of landing to the red planet.


The process on the ground


For updates follow http://twitter.com/#!/MarsCuriosity
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/msl/index.html

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NASA Mars Orbiter Catches Twister in Action - NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

"Dust devils occur on Earth as well as on Mars. They are spinning columns of air, made visible by the dust they pull off the ground. Unlike a tornado, a dust devil typically forms on a clear day when the ground is heated by the sun, warming the air just above the ground. As heated air near the surface rises quickly through a small pocket of cooler air above it, the air may begin to rotate, if conditions are just right."

High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter captured the image on Feb. 16, 2012, while the orbiter passed over the Amazonis Planitia region of northern Mars. In the area observed, paths of many previous whirlwinds, or dust devils, are visible as streaks on the dusty surface.

Read more ...
NASA Mars Orbiter Catches Twister in Action - NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
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Packing for Mars?

This is definitely not a book review, just my wild speculations into travel into Mars.

When you travel for cross Atlantic travel, how cozy was it? Seating at one confined place while waiting for long destination has so many side effects. Physical, psychological so and so.

Well, we are talking about months of isolations and painful travel. This should shakedown your enthusiasm for space travel. :P  

How about adding some humor to the pain? 
It is said that

"Pain + time = humor".

"Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void" by Mary Roach should be a good read. I would definitely love to have a chance to read it. Actually, I have added it to my wish list@Amazon. ;) Reviews are saying that there are a lot of LOL moments in the book.

I know the saying, "No pain, no gain". However, I am curious why send humans to the deep space? The recent advancement in robotics allows us to do the same thing at less cost and less insurance value than pushing humans to such harsh environments and posing fatal risks involved.

Side note:

Download the pdf to have some idea on how tricky it is to travel to sister planet Mars:

http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/en/educators/mars_packing.pdf

Bye Bye Mars Rover... Spirit [An attempt at fiction]

The quest had been "After so much time trying to come out of this slippery place... are they going to let it go?"  "The wheels are already not working, how long can they keep it dragging?" Public opinions are sometimes very sharp.


"I hate to be in this decision making eco-system..." remarks Dr. Z.
"After being involved in this project for some fraction of my life, I feel like.." [his voice breaks]...

"... It is like a family member after you spent so much time with it. ..." [he gathers it]

"... we had so many nice time together..."
"Had it been killed immediately after its time was up, it would have been less painful... As a project manager I have seen so many projects come and go."

"We expected it to last for what ... 90 days? give or take ... it has been running for six years in row ... day and night... We even changed our life style for it's efficient use."

Finally, the call has come into order.

"I am sorry to leave you there in cold... and alone. 
Bye Bye Spirit... you will be remembered."


http://marsrover.nasa.gov/home/index.html

http://marsrover.nasa.gov/newsroom/pressreleases/20100126a.html
Spirit and Opportunity landed on Mars in January 2004. They have been exploring for six years, far surpassing their original 90-day mission. Opportunity currently is driving toward a large crater called Endeavor and continues to make scientific discoveries. It has driven approximately 12 miles and returned more than 133,000 images.

[This is just a fiction]
Incidently, tonight marks one significant date

On Jan. 27, Mars will be closer to Earth than any other time between 2008 and 2014.

Read More http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/01/mars-earth-close-encounter/