Comments on: India Spacecraft Successfully Arrives at Mars . . . https://habitablezone.com/2014/09/25/47585/ Tue, 07 Apr 2026 19:18:10 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: DanS https://habitablezone.com/2014/09/25/47585/#comment-31914 DanS Mon, 29 Sep 2014 14:22:37 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=47585#comment-31914 <blockquote><center><a href="http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/life-unbounded/2014/09/26/two-new-arrivals-send-back-pictures-of-mars/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Two New Arrivals Send Back Pictures Of Mars</strong></a></center> 9-26-2014 | Caleb A. Scharf, Astrobiology Director, Columbia University The skies of Mars just got a little more crowded. On September 21st, 2014 NASA’s Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution Mission (MAVEN) fired its engines for some 33 minutes in order to swing into a safe orbit. And a few days later, early on Sept 24th, India’s Space Research Organization (ISRO) made history by joining the likes of the US, the former Soviet Union, and Europe, in successfully placing a spacecraft into martian orbit – their Mars Orbiter, or Mangalyaan (“Mars-craft”) mission. The Indian accomplishment is hugely impressive. Even if Mangalyaan is primarily a test bed for a variety of spacecraft engineering designs – carrying a handful of scientific instruments – to get anything to Mars in one piece is quite something. The history of efforts to explore the 4th planet from the Sun is littered with disappointments, and quite a few unintentional craters. Only about 43% of Mars missions have had any kind of success. Little wonder that the men and women of ISRO were very, very happy. Among the Lyman-Alpha Photometer, Methane Sensor, Quadrupole mass analyzer, and Thermal Infrared Imaging Spectrometer instruments is a plain old camera, and it’s sent back one of the first released images from this mission...</blockquote> <a href="http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/life-unbounded/2014/09/26/two-new-arrivals-send-back-pictures-of-mars/" rel="nofollow">More</a>. Interesting shots of water breakdown in the upper atmospheres, and beyond.

Two New Arrivals Send Back Pictures Of Mars

9-26-2014 | Caleb A. Scharf, Astrobiology Director, Columbia University

The skies of Mars just got a little more crowded. On September 21st, 2014 NASA’s Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution Mission (MAVEN) fired its engines for some 33 minutes in order to swing into a safe orbit. And a few days later, early on Sept 24th, India’s Space Research Organization (ISRO) made history by joining the likes of the US, the former Soviet Union, and Europe, in successfully placing a spacecraft into martian orbit – their Mars Orbiter, or Mangalyaan (“Mars-craft”) mission.

The Indian accomplishment is hugely impressive. Even if Mangalyaan is primarily a test bed for a variety of spacecraft engineering designs – carrying a handful of scientific instruments – to get anything to Mars in one piece is quite something. The history of efforts to explore the 4th planet from the Sun is littered with disappointments, and quite a few unintentional craters. Only about 43% of Mars missions have had any kind of success. Little wonder that the men and women of ISRO were very, very happy.

Among the Lyman-Alpha Photometer, Methane Sensor, Quadrupole mass analyzer, and Thermal Infrared Imaging Spectrometer instruments is a plain old camera, and it’s sent back one of the first released images from this mission…

More.

Interesting shots of water breakdown in the upper atmospheres, and beyond.

]]> By: DanS https://habitablezone.com/2014/09/25/47585/#comment-31912 DanS Mon, 29 Sep 2014 14:17:29 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=47585#comment-31912 <blockquote><center><a href="http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/india-s-mars-probe-sends-its-first-images/?WT.mc_id=SA_DD_20140926" rel="nofollow"><strong>India’s Mars Probe Sends Its First Images</strong></a> The India Space Research Organization unveils its first pictures of the red planet</center> 9-25-2014 | <a href="http://www.scientificamerican.com/author/mike-wall/" rel="nofollow">Mike Wall</a> and <a href="http://www.scientificamerican.com/author/spacecom/" rel="nofollow">SPACE.com</a> India's first Mars probe has captured its first photos, revealing an early glimpse of the surface and atmosphere of the Red Planet. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) unveiled the first photos of Mars from its Mangalyaan spacecraft via Facebook and Twitter on Wednesday and Thursday (Sept. 24-25), just a day or so after the probe made it to the Red Planet. "The view is nice up here," ISRO officials tweeted about one of the images, which shows a heavily cratered portion of the Red Planet's surface. Another photo depicts the curving, orange-brown limb of Mars against the blackness of space.</blockquote> <a href="http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/india-s-mars-probe-sends-its-first-images/?WT.mc_id=SA_DD_20140926" rel="nofollow">More</a>. Includes a nifty slideshow of rocket assembly.

India’s Mars Probe Sends Its First Images
The India Space Research Organization unveils its first pictures of the red planet

9-25-2014 | Mike Wall and SPACE.com

India’s first Mars probe has captured its first photos, revealing an early glimpse of the surface and atmosphere of the Red Planet.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) unveiled the first photos of Mars from its Mangalyaan spacecraft via Facebook and Twitter on Wednesday and Thursday (Sept. 24-25), just a day or so after the probe made it to the Red Planet.

“The view is nice up here,” ISRO officials tweeted about one of the images, which shows a heavily cratered portion of the Red Planet’s surface.

Another photo depicts the curving, orange-brown limb of Mars against the blackness of space.

More.

Includes a nifty slideshow of rocket assembly.

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