Mars Orbiter Mission

Exploring Mars while utilizing local technology contributed to the global scientific community and also put MOM in the spotlight, making it the pride of Asia.

Mission Objective

Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) aimed to develop interplanetary mission technologies and explore Mars using local scientific tools.

• Technological Development for Interplanetary Missions – to advance the technologies essential for the design, planning, management, and execution of an interplanetary mission.

• Scientific Research on Mars – to investigate Mars’ surface characteristics, morphology, mineral composition, and Martian atmosphere using locally developed scientific instruments.

Mission Significance

In those days, the race to Mars was in its early stages. Therefore, developing the appropriate instruments to achieve scientific results was crucial. 

Source: NASA

Engineering Challenges

MOM was a pioneering technological success for India, therefore, achieving orbit insertion at Mars on the first attempt required overcoming several major engineering hurdles:

• Deep Space Communication and Navigation – The small distance between Earth and Mars necessitated highly complex and autonomous navigation systems.
• Extended Mission Lifespan – While originally designed for a six-month duration, MOM’s components needed to operate reliably for years longer than planned.
• Optical Interference – To accurately capture Mars’s surface characteristics and atmospheric composition, the instruments relied on precise measurement of light and heat. This is a critical challenge for any high-sensitivity camera or spectrometer.

Mission Components 

• Mars Color Camera (MCC)
• Thermal Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (TIS)
• Methane Sensor for Mars (MSM)
• Mars Exospheric Neutral Composition Analyzer (MENCA)
• Lyman Alpha Photometer (LAP)

Acktar’s Solution

Acktar contributed the Fractal Black coating to be applied on critical internal components. To ensure the scientific integrity of the optical systems throughout MOM’s remarkably long mission life, ISRO utilized Acktar’s space-qualified black coating technology.

Source: Univeresetoday

Impact

During its journey, MOM discovered various findings that were valuable for cosmology:

• 2017: Detection of super thermal (highly energetic) Argon in Mars’s exosphere while Mars was at the perihelion. 
• 2016: During perihelion in the evening, at an approximate altitude of 270km, oxygen abundance exceeds that of CO2.
• More than 35 published research papers in refereed journals!
• More than 1100 images, which were eventually included in Mars Atlas! 

Interesting Facts

• The planned mission duration was six months. However, MOM managed to stay in orbit for seven years!
• MOM was India’s and Asia’s first interplanetary mission!
• ISRO was the 4th space agency to reach Mars orbit.
• MOM got a first-ever observation of the far side of Deimos, one of Mars’ moons.

MOM’s Farewell

In April 2022, MOM entered a 7-hour eclipse period for which it wasn’t designed to survive. Then, on the 2nd of October 2022, ISRO reported that MOM had lost communication with land for good. On the 3rd of October, ISRO announced that all efforts to reestablish contact with MOM had failed and officially declared its mission concluded. 

India’s successful, cost-effective Mars mission on its first attempt has elevated its global reputation in space endeavors. This achievement opened the doors for increased Space Commerce opportunities, including satellite launch services and imagery marketing. MOM has become a source of national pride. It has captivated everyone’s attention, whether the global science and technical community or the rest of the public. Moreover, it has sparked curiosity and ongoing interest among the younger generation, promoting discussions about space-related technologies.

ISRO intends to launch MOM-2 in 2024, featuring an enhanced scientific payload and using aerobraking to optimize its orbit for scientific observation.

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