News Analysis India

Tag: Mars mission

  • Enroute Mars: Check out this sister-duo’s ‘boarding pass’ for journey to red planet

    Express News Service
    DEHRADUN: These two sisters were fortunate enough to score online boarding passes to Mars. Shivani Mishra (26) and Himani Mishra (22) had their names carried across the globe by the Perseverance rover which landed on the Red planet on Friday. 

    Their names were included in a microchip along with 10.9 million others from across the world, that was sent in the rover by National Aeronautical Space Agency (NASA) to Mars.

    Shivani, the older sister who is researching the effects of cosmic rays on the earth’s various facets said, “We are absolutely thrilled. Our happiness knew no bounds when we got to know that we are among the fortunate whose names will be carried to the Mars.”

    The agency in 2019 had invited applications, which they applied to. Following this, online boarding passes were issued to both the sisters.

    Himani, an ardent fan of George Orwell, has completed MSc in Physics and is set to join research following the footsteps of her sister. She said, “The landing of the Perseverance is another giant leap for the mankind. We hope that one day living on Mars will be a reality.”

    Daughters of an associate professor in a government degree college of Haldwani, the duo had an academic bend of kind from the start.

    Santosh Mishra, who is an associate professor of Hindi in Motiram Baburam Postgraduate College, Haldwani in Nainital district said, “My daughters were always encouraged to have scientific temper and prove things before blindly believing or trusting. Our Constitution also enshrines the spirit of promoting scientific temper. As a parent we should be doing that only.”

    The sisters have also uploaded a Youtube video explaining how one can send their names for upcoming Mars mission too. 

    This is the fourth Rover to land in the Red Planet. Spirit, Opportunity and Curiosity were previous rover missions to the Red Planet

  • India’s next Mars mission likely to be an orbiter

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: As NASA’s Perseverance rover landed on Mars in the early hours of Friday to look for signs of past life, ISRO’s next mission to the Red Planet is likely to be an orbiter.

    Perseverance, the biggest and the most advanced rover ever sent by NASA, made its landing at Jezero Crater.

    After its successful Mars Orbiter Mission, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) called for ‘Announcement of Opportunities’ on Mars Orbiter Mission-2.

    “It is now planned to have the next orbiter mission around Mars for a future launch opportunity,” according to the Announcement of Opportunities.

    But there are other major projects that are lined up. After the Mars Orbiter Mission’s success, ISRO also decided to explore Venus.

    However, the immediate priorities of ISRO remain to be Chandrayaan-3 and Gaganyaan — both projects have been delayed due to the coronavirus-induced lockdown.

    Under Chandrayaan-3, ISRO will once again try to land a rover on the Moon. The mission was to be launched late last year.

    Chandrayaan-2 did not yield expected results as the lander hard-landed, dashing India’s hopes to successfully land on the Moon.

    ISRO plans to send three humans to space by 2022 under the Gaganyaan (human space) mission.

    The India France Joint Vision for Space Cooperation’ also mentions about the possible collaboration to explore Mars.

    “CNES and ISRO, with the support of Laboratoire de meteorologic dynamique (LMD, CNRS), will jointly work on the modelling of Mars and Venus atmospheres,” the vision statement said.

    Mangalyaan or Mars Orbiter Mission was India’s first endeavour to successfully reach another planet.

    The launch vehicle, spacecraft and ground segment cost Rs 450 crore, one of the cheapest missions to Mars so far.

    Designed to work for six months, the mission has completed over six years.

    The Mars orbiter has sent thousands of pictures totalling more than two terabytes.