23 Sep 2014|Noida | Amity University Campus, Sector- 125, Noida
Distinguished Scientist Emeritus of ISRO deliberate on “Mars Orbiter Mission” during a lecture at Amity
On the eve of “Mangalyaan” entering into Mars’ Orbit and as the world eagerly awaits the historic moment, the Scientists, Researchers and students of Amity University, Noida were enlightened on the interesting “Mars Orbiter Mission” by Dr. Vedachalam- Distinguished Scientist Emeritus of ISRO and a legend with in-depth inter-disciplinary knowledge of Science.
Dr. Ashok K Chauhan- Founder President, Amity Group was present during the informative and interesting lecture.
Welcoming the distinguished Scientist, Dr. W Selvamurthy- President, Amity Science, Technology and Innovation Foundation outlined the R&D initiatives of Amity University and shared the vision of Dr. Ashok K Chauhan to make India a global player and "Superpower" by augmenting the scientific capabilities and technical prowess of the country through developing competent Human resources.
Sharing his views, Prof. Vedachalam said that scientific fraternity has a responsibility to inculcate scientific temper and motivate the youth, which is the backbone of the country. Talking about “Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM)”, Prof. Vedachalam apprised the audience that Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM), “Mangalyaan” was launched into Earth Orbit on November 5, 2013 by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), which is expected to enter orbit around Mars on September 24, 2014 at 7:17 am, making India the first Asian country to reach Mars .
He shared that how the scientists and Researchers at ISRO decided in August 2010 to launch an indigenous all Indian Satellite into Mars’ Orbit, an opportunity which comes only once in 2 years when Mars is nearest to the Earth. Stressing on the relative distance between Earth and Mars on various dates, he stated that on November 5, 2013 (Launch day), the distance between Earth and Mars was 282.11 million kms; on December 1 (Trans Mars Injection TMI day), it was 248.99 million kms and on September 24, 2014 ie Mars Orbit Insertion Day, the distance would be 222.57 million kms.
He narrated how Scientists worked on stringent deadline of 39 months to complete pre-launch preparations, using a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) rocket. He informed that the launch window for MOM was approximately 20 days long and it spent about a month in Earth orbit, where it made a series of seven altitude-raising orbital maneuvers before trans-Mars injection on 30 November 2013.
Talking about Mars, Prof. Vedachalam said that Mars is also called the Red planet because of the rocks and soil being red owing to the presence to Iron –Oxide. “The atmosphere at mars has 95% Carbon Dioxide, 2.7% nitrogen, .03% Water Vapours and 2% other gases. Mars has seasonal changes but the seasons last longer”, briefed Prof. Vedachalam.
Dwelling on various Mars Missions initiated by other countries since 1990, Prof. Vedachalam said that America has faced many failures in Mars Missions but their contribution cannot be ignored. ISRO Scientists took lessons from all the Mars Missions accomplished till date; did meticulous reviews and finest teamwork for MOM.
He stressed that India can do anything; Innovation and curiosity put together can lead to wonders. He expressed his sincere hope that India’s Mars Mission would be a complete success tomorrow and major milestone in the history of Indian Space Research.
The lecture was followed by interactive session between the erudite speaker and the audience at Amity.