India's maiden effort exploring the Red Planet has been extended for another half year after the Mars Orbiter Mission successfully completed a round, set to pursue further exploration of the planet and the Martian atmosphere.
A senior official at the India Space Research Organization (ISRO) said the Mars Orbiter, weighing 1,340 kilograms, or a little over one ton, has a surplus of fuel, allowing it to extend its time on Mars beyond what was initially intended. With 37 kilograms, or 81 pounds, of fuel left, the spacecraft has enough to explore the Red Planet for another six months. The initial mission itself was completed within six months.
When the Mars Orbiter Mission launched, it made history by not only being India's first Martian mission but by also being the first to enter Mars' orbit on its first attempt. It blasted off from Earth on Nov. 5, 2013 and made it to the Red Planet after nine months of inter-planetary space travel.
Costing $70 million, the Mars Orbiter Mission's journey began strapped to a polar rocket at the Sriharikota spaceport off the Bengal Bay, around 50 miles off Chennai.
The Mars Orbiter Mission also gave India the distinction of being the first country in Asia to enter the Martian sphere of influence (where the planet's gravity activates). China attempted to get to Mars in 2011 but failed.
"The five scientific instruments onboard the spacecraft (Orbiter) will continue to collect data and relay it to our deep space network center here for analysis," said Devi Prasad Karnik, ISRO director.
Of the five instruments aboard the orbiter, the Mars Color Camera has seen the most activity, taking more than a handful of stunning images of the Martian surface, including craters, mountains, valleys, dust storms and clouds. Pictures sent back by the Mars Color Camera have been uploaded online through the ISRO's Facebook and Twitter accounts for public viewing.
Methane is considered an indicator of the presence of previous life on the Red Planet so one of the Mars Orbiter Mission's instruments is tasked with looking for the gas. Should methane be detected, ISRO will know if the gas has a geological origin with the help of a thermal infrared sensor.
With the success of the Mars Orbiter Mission, India joins the ranks of Russia, Europe and the United States as pioneers in Martian travel. It takes the orbiter about 3.2 Earth days to complete circling around the Red Planet.
