Saturday, December 14, 2013

Sinus Iridum (the Bay of Rainbows)


With the Chang'e 3 mission duo landing on the Moon at the Bay of Rainbows, maybe a few links about Sinus Iridum are in order..
Let's start with Astro Bob's blog where he has the  video clips of the landing sequence to Sinus Iridum.
- LRK -

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Astro Bob - Celestial happenings you can see from your own backyard - 
Touchdown! China’s Chang’e 3 lands on the moon

You can settle back with your cup of morning coffee knowing that the Chinese moon lander successfully touched down on the lunar surface this morning at 7:11 a.m. (CST). The lander’s descent camera recorded a safe touchdown in the Bay of Rainbows, a 160-mile-wide (257 km) lava flooded relic crater in the moon’s northern hemisphere.

Chang’e 3′s onboard optical and microwave sensors guided the spacecraft during its final few hundred feet to the surface. At about 15 feet (4.5 m), the lander’s thrusters switched off and Chang’e 3 free fell the rest of the way to avoid kicking up too much moon dust.

- See more at: http://astrobob.areavoices.com/2013/12/14/touchdown-chinas-change-3-lands-on-the-moon/#sthash.L2KnlS62.dpuf
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Sky at Night as a nice article about Sinus Iridum.
Do take a look.
- LRK -

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Moonwatch – Sinus Iridum
Sinus Iridum
Image Credit: 
 Pete Lawrence
 

If you observe Sinus Iridum at precisely the right time, you'll see the famous Jewelled Handle


Sinus Iridum, or the Bay of Rainbows, is one of the loveliest features of the Moon: the Bay of Rainbows. It leads off the vast Mare Imbrium and was shown and named by the famous lunar observer Giovanni Riccioli in his map drawn in 1651. In those days, of course, it was generally believed that the dark areas really were seas, and that the Moon could well be a world suited to life.
 
Sinus Iridum is called a bay, but it is really a crater whose seaward wall has been virtually destroyed; only a few very low, disconnected fragments can be traced. Elsewhere the mountainous ‘wall’ is continuous and fairly high, though the outermost edge is disturbed for a short distance by the prominent crater Bianchini. The continuous section is bounded by two capes, Promontorium Heraclides and Promontorium Laplace.
The floor of Iridum slopes downward from the Mare Imbrium, so that at the far side it is about 200ft (61 metres) lower than the level of the Mare. There is nothing quite like this anywhere else on the Moon, but the sequence of events seems to be fairly straightforward. The Mare itself was formed during the lunar epoch named after it – the Imbrium – which ended over three thousand million years ago, so that it post-dates the Great Bombardment. The Iridum impact followed before the great lava-floods, which accounts for the inundation of the seaward wall.
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And what Wikipedia has to say.
- LRK -

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Sinus Iridum (Latin for "Bay of Rainbows") is a plain of basaltic lava that forms a northwestern extension to the Mare Imbrium. It is surrounded from the northeast to the southwest by the Montes Jura range. The protruding part of the range at the southwest end is namedPromontorium Heraclides, while that at the northeast end is called Promontorium Laplace. This bay and the surrounding mountains is considered one of the most beautiful features on the Moon, and is a favorite among lunar observers.
Sinus Iridum is formed from the remains of a large impact crater, which was subsequently flooded with basaltic lava, inundating the "sea" wall. It does not, itself, contain any notable impact craters, but does include the satellite crater Heraclides E in the south, Laplace A along the eastern edge, and Bianchini G in the north. The surface is level, but is marked by a number of wrinkle ridges.
The selenographic coordinates of this bay are 44.1° N, 31.5° W, and the diameter is 236 km.[1] The feature was given the latin name for the Bay of Rainbows by Giovanni Riccioli.

Chinese Moon Rover Mission[edit]

On December 14, 2013 the Chinese government successfully executed a soft landing of their rover on Sinus Iridum. The rover, named after the Chinese folklore of the Jade Rabbit (Simp. Chinese: 玉兔), is the first man made object to land on the moon in the 21st Century.
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The Planetary Society is following Chang'e 3 mission events as they unfold.
- LRK -

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Chang'e 3 has successfully landed on the Moon!
Posted by Emily Lakdawalla
2013/12/14 08:28 CST

Topics: pics of spacecraft in space, mission status, spacecraft,the Moon, Chang'E program

The official landing time for Chang'e 3 was 13:11:18 UT -- a full half-hour earlier than the time announced yesterday, which meant that I missed the action. Thank goodness for denizens of the Internet making screen caps of the images that the lander returned during its descent to the moon! There was not live video but there were video frames transmitted. According to a member of the mission team interviewed after the landing onChinese state television (CCTV), they expected 10 frames to be transmitted but actually received 59. Here is an animation of a few of them:
http://www.planetary.org/multimedia/space-images/earth/change-3-lands-on-the-moon.html
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Several links to Lunar Networks blog links.
- LRK -

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LUNAR NETWORKS

Chang'e-3 successfully lands on the Moon

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Remember Japan's orbiter mission, Kaguya, and its high definition videos?
Watch it again at Luna C/I: Moon Colonization and Integration blog by Nick Azer.
- LRK -

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Orbiting Atlas #1!: Sinus Iridum (The Bay of Rainbows) December 15, 2009
Posted by Nick Azer

Welcome to my brand new weekly feature—Orbiting Atlas! Each Monday, I’ll break out my lunar globe and trek to a different selenographic point of interest, giving you a tour of each location’s features, history, and potential :)

The first entry gets the honor for being in the news recently…so without further ado:

Sinus Iridum—The Bay of Rainbows

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The circular “Bay”—given its name by Italian astronomer Giovanni Riccioli–is ringed by the Montes Jura, with the cape-like Promontorium Laplace jutting out along the northeast. The Bay has a diameter of ~149 miles, and lays at the northwest corner of the large, western plain Mare Imbrium, about 1,225 miles northwest of the Apollo 11 landing site and 620 miles northwest of the Apollo 15 site. 
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Mare Imbrium’s lava plains are nearly flat, extending into Sinus Iridum (once a crater, with the southeast wall having been eliminated in an Imbrium event). These plains are prime territory for helium-3, and that stretch where there was once the southeastern wall may make for a revealing geological study.

It’s figured there’s a large amount of helium-3 on the Moon, but the distribution is unknown—so by scouting out a different mare, China could dig up valuable information on a region not already targeted for ‘gold rush’. Perhaps we’ll see a private company follow the Chinese lead, and scope it out for themselves…

Sinus Imbrium was a location filmed in 2007 by Japan’s orbiter, Kaguya, and it’s HDTV camera. Check out the amazing video below (and also be sure to explore the Bay in Google Earth 5.0′s spiffy Moon view!):
Uploaded on Mar 23, 2009
KAGUYA (SELENE) taking "Mare Imbrium and Sinus Iridum" by HDTV. Aspect ratio 16:9 and HD quality in English narration. (C)JAXA/NHK
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Hopefully we will get to see some tracks of the Chang'e 3 mission like we have from the Apollo 15 mission.
- LRK -

I am waiting to see if our local cable news has any sound bytes from this historical event.

Thanks for looking up with me.  
- LRK -
 
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WHAT THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE, AND BELIEVE, IT WILL ACHIEVE - LRK -

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China’s Chang’e-3 and Jade Rabbit duo land on the Moon

The Chang'e 3 mission duo have landed on the Moon.
Check out the NASA Spaceflight.com pictures and text.
- LRK -

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China’s Chang’e-3 and Jade Rabbit duo land on the Moon
December 14, 2013 by Rui C. Barbosa

China’s Chang’e-3 and the lunar rover Yutu (Jade Rabbit) have landed on the lunar surface at 1:11 pm UTC on Saturday. The duo were launched by a Long March 3B on December 1, which was followed by a nominal flight into lunar orbit and subsequently China’s first soft landing on the Moon.
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Also the previous Spaceflight.com post for more information.
- LRK -

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Chang’e-3: Chinese lunar rover heading to the Moon
December 1, 2013 by Rui C. Barbosa

The Chinese have begun their most ambitious lunar mission to date, following the successful launch their Long March 3B rocket carrying the Chang’e-3 probe and Yutu lunar rover. Launch was on schedule at 17:30 UTC on Sunday, taking place from the LC2 Launch Complex at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center.
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Watch a YouTube presentation of landing with images and Chinese and English commentary.
- LRK -

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China's Chang'e 3 JADE RABBIT landed on the Moon!! LIVE Footage From MOON
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And a bit from THE INDEPENDENT, Saturday 14 December 2013.
- LRK -

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China's Jade Rabbit rover lands on moon
HEATHER SAUL 
 Saturday 14 December 2013

China has reported landing its Jade Rabbit rover on the moon, in the first soft landing of a rover in nearly four decades today, the latest step in the country's ambitious space programme.

The Chang'e 3 lander was scheduled to touch down at 9.40pm local time (1.40pm GMT).

State television showed pictures of the moon's surface as the Chang'e 3 lander touched down shortly before this.

The lander carries the moon rover called Yutu, or “Jade Rabbit” which was launched onboard the Chang'e 3 rocket on 1 December. After landing, the rover is slated to separate from the Chang'e and begin a three-month scientific exploration, looking for natural resources.
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Hopefully there will be more videos after the stored data is received and further check out is completed.
Feel free to let me know if you spot something of interest.
- LRK -

Thanks for looking up with me.  
- LRK -
 
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WHAT THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE, AND BELIEVE, IT WILL ACHIEVE - LRK -

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Thursday, December 12, 2013

Lunar Soil - the fine fraction of the regolith found on the surface of the Moon.

With the present interests in what is going on at our Moon and about to happen with the Chang'e 3 mission, you might wonder if there is any possibility to put humans there again. If you just stay for three days you can bring your own box lunches.  If you really want to think about staying for any extended time you may want to grow some fresh vegetables. 

Easier said than done. Down here on Earth, just throw some soil in a pot, some seeds, add some water, air, and light. Maybe control the temperature range. [brrr, it has been cold this last week and the pepper plant leaves have curled up.]

Hmm, at the lunar environment the composition of soil is different than what I might get here for potting soil. The more we learn about what is available on the Moon, the better we will be able to prepare our indoor hot house.  The less we have to bring up to the Moon the better. 

Both the Chang'e 3 lander and rover will help analyze soil samples and a later mission plans to return some lunar soil to Earth.

Since we will need to dig in to be protected from solar radiation it will be good to know what is under the lunar soil. The Chang'e Jade Rabbit rover has a ground penetrating radar that should be useful. 

- LRK -

Check out the references to the Wikipedia articles that follow. - LRK -
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Chang'e 3 (Chinese: 嫦娥三号; pinyin: Cháng'é Sānhào) is a lunar exploration mission operated by the China National Space Administration, incorporating a robotic lander and a rover. Chang'e 3 was launched on the morning of 2 December 2013 local time (17:30 1 December UTC), which is part of the second phase of the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program.[5][9][10] It will be China's first lunar rover.
The spacecraft is named after Chang'e, the goddess of the Moon in Chinese mythology, and is a follow-up to the Chang'e 1 and Chang'e 2 lunar orbiters. The lunar rover is called Yutu, or Jade Rabbit, a name selected in an online poll that comes from a Chinese myth about a white rabbit that lives on the Moon as a companion of the moon goddess Chang'e.[11] It achieved lunar orbit on 6 December 2013 (Beijing time).[12]
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This article or section documents a current or recent spaceflight. Details may change as the mission progresses.
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A look at what lunar soil is.
- LRK -

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Lunar soil is the fine fraction of the regolith found on the surface of the Moon. Its properties can differ significantly from those of terrestrial soil. The physical properties of lunar soil are primarily the result of mechanical disintegration of basaltic and anorthositic rock, caused by continuous meteoric impact and bombardment by interstellar charged atomic particles over billions of years. The process is largely one of mechanical weathering in which the particles are ground to finer and finer size over time. This situation contrasts fundamentally to terrestrial soil formation, mediated by the presence of molecular oxygen (O2), humidity, atmospheric wind, and a robust array of contributing biological processes. Some have argued that the term "soil" is not correct in reference to the Moon because on the Earth, soil is defined as havingorganic content, whereas the Moon has none. However, standard usage among lunar scientists is to ignore that distinction.
The term lunar soil is often used interchangeably with "lunar regolith" but typically refers to only the finer fraction of regolith, that which is composed of grains one cm in diameter or less.[1] Lunar dust generally connotes even finer materials than lunar soil. There is no official definition of what size fraction constitutes "dust", some place the cutoff at less than 50 micrometres in diameter, others at less than 10.
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Not all of the Moon's surface is pulverized to dust and so we will need to be able to adapt to varying terrain.
- LRK -

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Regolith is a layer of loose, heterogeneous material covering solid rock. It includes dust, soil, broken rock, and other related materials and is present on Earth, the Moon, Mars, some asteroids, and other terrestrial planets and moons.
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Moon
Regolith covers almost the entire lunar surface, bedrock protruding only on very steep-sided crater walls and the occasional lava channel. This regolith has formed over the last 4.6 billion years from the impact of large and small meteoroids, from the steady bombardment of micrometeoroids and from solar and galactic charged particles breaking down surface rocks.
The impact of micrometeoroids, sometimes travelling faster than 60,000 mph (96,000 km/h), generates enough heat to melt or partially vaporize dust particles. This melting and refreezing welds particles together into glassy, jagged-edged agglutinates,[2] reminiscent oftektites found on Earth.
The regolith is generally from 4 to 5 metres thick in mare areas and from 10 to 15 metres in the older highland regions.[3] Below this true regolith is a region of blocky and fractured bedrock created by larger impacts, which is often referred to as the "megaregolith".
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The more real lunar soil samples we have the better lunar soil simulant that can be created. These are needed when you start thinking about using lunar materials for on site construction.  I wonder if any of the below is still available.

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Engineering, Construction, and Operations in Space IV
American Society of Civil Engineers, pp. 857-866, 1994

JSC-1: A NEW LUNAR SOIL SIMULANT

David S. McKay, James L. Carter, Walter W. Boles,

Carlton C. Allen, and Judith H. Allton

A new lunar soil simulant, JSC-1, has been developed and characterized under the auspices of the NASA Johnson Space Center. This simulant was produced in large quantities to satisfy the requirements of a variety of scientific and engineering investigations. JSC-1 is derived from volcanic ash of basaltic composition, which has been ground, sized, and placed into storage. The simulant's chemical composition, mineralogy, particle size distribution, specific gravity, angle of internal friction, and cohesion have been characterized and fall within the ranges of lunar mare soil samples. JSC-1 is available for only the cost of shipping.

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Well it looks like some other more recent sources have been made. 

And CAS-1 Lunar Soil Simulant from China..


Thanks for looking up with me.  
- LRK -
 
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WHAT THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE, AND BELIEVE, IT WILL ACHIEVE - LRK -

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Wednesday, December 11, 2013

China’s Maiden Moon Rover Mission Chang’e 3 Achieves Lunar Orbit with the touchdown scheduled for some time Dec. 14.

We see that Chang'e 3 has achieved lunar orbit and is preparing to land on the Moon.
Things will really get interesting should the landing be successful. 
Much to learn about our nearest celestial neighbor. 
- LRK -

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China’s Maiden Moon Rover Mission Chang’e 3 Achieves Lunar Orbit
China’s maiden moon landing probe successfully entered lunar orbit on Friday, Dec. 6, following Sunday’s (Dec. 1) spectacular blastoff – setting the stage for the historic touchdown attempt in mid December.

Engineer’s at the Beijing Aerospace Control Center (BACC) commanded the Chang’e 3 lunar probe to fire its braking thrusters for 361 seconds, according to China’s Xinhua news agency.

The do or die orbital insertion maneuver proceeded precisely as planned at the conclusion of a four and a half day voyage to Earth’s nearest neighbor.

China’s ‘Yutu’ lunar lander is riding piggyback atop the four legged landing probe during the history making journey from the Earth to the Moon.
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Dwayne Day talks about the implications of the Chang'e mission.
- LRK -

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It’s not bragging if you do itby Dwayne Day
Monday, December 9, 2013

Later this week, if all goes according to plan, China will land a robotic spacecraft and rover on the Moon, something that nobody has done in nearly four decades. If the Chinese do what they did for the launch, they will broadcast much of the event live on television and over the Internet. Last week’s launch coverage on government-controlled English language CCTV was remarkable for its openness. Indeed, the coverage was indistinguishable from Western news coverage of a major space event. There was no propagandizing or nationalistic chest-thumping, just a straightforward reporting with lots of information about the mission and what was happening. The event, and its coverage, highlighted the fact that China has an attractive, technically sophisticated scientific space program that could serve international relations purposes. It was a demonstration of what American political scientist Joseph Nye has referred to as “soft power,” the ability to compel or attract nations to do what you want. China’s space program gives them this ability to attract partners. The problem is that some of China’s other activities undercut their attractiveness as a potential partner.
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Some more at SPACEFLIGHT NOW
- LRK -

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http://www.spaceflightnow.com/china/change3/131206loi/#.Uqi8pPRDua-
Chinese probe arrives in lunar orbit for moon landing
BY STEPHEN CLARK
SPACEFLIGHT NOW
Posted: December 6, 2013

Less than five days after leaving Earth atop a blazing Long March launcher, China's Chang'e 3 spacecraft reached lunar orbit Friday to prepare for an historic rocket-assisted touchdown in the moon's Bay of Rainbows later this month.

Outfitted with a six-wheeled robotic rover and smarts to avoid hazards in the landing zone, Chang'e 3 is China's boldest unmanned space mission to date, extending feats achieved by a pair of lunar orbiters launched in 2007 and 2010.

The four-legged lander fired its propulsion system for six minutes and braked into orbit around the moon at 0953 GMT (4:53 a.m. EST) Friday, according to China's state-run Xinhua news agency.
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With LADEE looking at the Moon we should get some idea of what going back to the Moon will do to the tenuous lunar atmosphere.


Take a look again at again at what the Planetary Society blog has to say.

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Chang'e 3 and LADEE updates -- and Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, too, for good measure
Posted by Emily Lakdawalla
2013/12/05 08:40 CST
Topics: pretty pictures, Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, mission status, LADEE, the Moon, Chang'E program

Update Dec 6 7:54 a.m. PT: Chang'e 3 has arrived in lunar orbit.

Chang'e 3 is just about to land on the Moon, and the LADEE orbiter has begun a new science mission there, while Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter is still producing amazing images.
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Thanks for looking up with me.  
- LRK -
 
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WHAT THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE, AND BELIEVE, IT WILL ACHIEVE - LRK -

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Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Chang'e 3 lunar landing mission launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center on Dec. 2, 2013 local time (Dec. 1 EST)

Excuse the delay in mentioning the launch of China's Moon Lander mission.(visited relatives for Thanksgiving). 
I hope you have already seen the news so will just post a few links for historical reference.
- LRK -

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Chang’e-3: Chinese lunar rover heading to the Moon
December 1, 2013 by Rui C. Barbosa

The Chinese have begun their most ambitious lunar mission to date, following the successful launch their Long March 3B rocket carrying the Chang’e-3 probe and Yutu lunar rover. Launch was on schedule at 17:30 UTC on Sunday, taking place from the LC2 Launch Complex at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center. 

Chinese Moon Mission:

The Chang’e-3 mission is the second phase of China’s lunar program, a program that includes orbiting, landing and sample return ambitions. It is aiming to follow the successes of the Chang’e-1 and Chang’e-2 missions in 2007 and 2010.

The Chang’e-3 mission couples a lander and the rover, advancing China’s exploration ambitions exponentially.

With a launch mass of 3,780 kg, the lander is equipped with a radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG) to power the lunar operations during the three-month mission.

The energy will be used to power the scientific payload of seven instruments and cameras. The main instrument is the Lunar-based Ultraviolet Telescope. This will be used to observe galaxies and other celestial objects
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SpaceRef post back on December 1, 2013.
- LRK -

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China's Chang'e-3 Heads For The Moon
Posted by Keith Cowing - Source: SpaceRef
Posted December 1, 2013 1:15 PM

China's Chang'e-3 lunar rover Yutu ("Jade rabbit") left Earth today aboard a Long March IIIB rocket today. Liftoff occurred at 12:30 pm EST from Xichang launch facility in in China's Sichuan province.

Chang'e-3 will take approximately four days to reach the Moon and will enter orbit on or around 6 December. A week or so later Change'e-3's large landing stage will deliver the Yutu rover to a landing site in Sinus Iridum. The current expected landing date is 14 December.

The Yutu rover will operate on the lunar surface for several months while the landing stage will operate for up to a year.
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Some photos at SpaceRef.
- LRK -

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http://www.space.com/23789-china-launch-photos-moon-rover-change3.html
Launch Photos: China's Chang'e 3 Moon Rover Mission Blasts Off
by Tariq Malik, Managing Editor   |   December 01, 2013 01:04pm ET
China's Chang'e 3 Moon Mission Launches
Credit: CCTV
China's first-ever moon landing mission, called Chang'e 3, will include the first Chinese rover ever to set down on an extraterrestrial landscape. See images from the Chang'e 3/Yutu rover mission's launch here.

Here, a Chinese Long March 3B rocket launches China's first moon rover Yutu (Jade Rabbit) on the Chang'e 3 lunar landing mission from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center on Dec. 2, 2013 local time (Dec. 1 EST) in this still image from a CCTV broadcast. [Read the Full Launch Story for China's 1st Moon Rover Mission]
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It will be most interesting to see the reactions from around the world. 

Thanks for looking up with me.  
- LRK -
 
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WHAT THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE, AND BELIEVE, IT WILL ACHIEVE - LRK -

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Thursday, November 7, 2013

MAVEN (Mars Atmospheric and Volatile EvolutioN)

Now to follow MAVEN.
-LRK-

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MAVEN
Spacecraft
Launch Window: Nov. 18-Dec. 7, 2013
Mars Orbit Insertion: ~Sept. 22, 2014



Overview
MAVEN (Mars Atmospheric and Volatile EvolutioN) is the second mission selected for NASA's Mars Scout program, an initiative for smaller, low-cost, competed missions led by a principal investigator. Responsive to high-priority science goals listed in the National Academy of Science's 2003 decadal survey on planetary exploration, 
MAVEN will obtain critical measurements of the Martian atmosphere to help understand dramatic climate change on the red planet over its history.
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And not all that much at NASA unless you try the links there.
- LRK -

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MAVEN: Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN

Answers About Mars Climate History
The Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) mission, scheduled for launch in late 2013, will be the first mission devoted to understanding the Martian upper atmosphere.

The goal of MAVEN is to determine the role that loss of atmospheric gas to space played in changing the Martian climate through time. Where did the atmosphere – and the water – go?

MAVEN will determine how much of the Martian atmosphere has been lost over time by measuring the current rate of escape to space and gathering enough information about the relevant processes to allow extrapolation backward in time

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Launch window opens Nov. 18, 1:28 PM EST

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MAVEN

The Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution Mission (MAVEN), set to launch in 2013, will explore the planet’s upper atmosphere, ionosphere and interactions with the sun and solar wind. Scientists will use MAVEN data to determine the role that loss of volatile compounds, such as CO2, N2, and H2O, from the Mars atmosphere to space has played over time, giving insight into the history of Mars atmosphere and climate, liquid water, and planetary habitability.
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MAVEN at NASA SCINCE.
- LRK -

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MAVEN will carry three instrument suites. The Particles and Fields Package, built by the University of California at Berkeley with support from CU/LASP and Goddard Space Flight Center, contains six instruments that will characterize the solar wind and the ionosphere of the planet. The Remote Sensing Package, built by CU/LASP, will determine global characteristics of the upper atmosphere and ionosphere. The Neutral Gas and Ion Mass Spectrometer, provided by Goddard Space Flight Center, will measure the composition and isotopes of neutral ions. Lockheed Martin, based in Littleton, Colorado, will provide the MAVEN spacecraft, as well as mission operations for the mission. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory will navigate the spacecraft. CU/LASP will provide science operations and data packaging.
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Thanks for looking up with me.  
- LRK -
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WHAT THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE, AND BELIEVE, IT WILL ACHIEVE - LRK -

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Tuesday, November 5, 2013

A Pitcture Perfect Launch for Mars Orbiter Mission

How to get to the Moon, Mars, and Beyond?  
Many ways and the paths are not always the same.
Shoot straight and with enough push, hit the target in the shortest path.
Sling your stone and use various objects to help you along the way. 
The path not so straight and the time, not so short. 
With care, you may still hit the target.  Time will tell.

The Indian Space Agency has just launched a Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM).  
It will take some time, but no one on board and instruments can endure.
-LRK-

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A Pitcture Perfect Launch for Mars Orbiter Mission
Posted by Emily Lakdawalla
2013/11/05 04:11 CST

It was well worth staying up late to watch the PSLV carrying the Mars Orbiter Mission soar off its launch pad today. All four stages of the launch vehicle performed right to expectations, placing the spacecraft into an elliptical orbit of Earth with a perigee of 246.9 kilometers and an apogee of 23,566 kilometers, extremely close to the predicted orbit. I was taken aback by how quickly the rocket shot into the air. I made an animated gif of screen caps.
[Check out Planetary Org  web site - LRK -]
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Info from Universe Today with pictures and updates.
- LRK -

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India’s First Mars Mission Launches Flawlessly on Historic Journey to the Red Planet

by KEN KREMER on NOVEMBER 5, 2013

India flawlessly launched its first ever mission to Mars today (Nov. 5) to begin a history making ten month long interplanetary voyage to the Red Planet that’s aimed at studying the Martian atmosphere and searching for methane after achieving orbit.
The Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) thundered to space atop the nations four stage Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) precisely on time at 14:38 hrs IST (9:08 UTC, 4:08 a.m. EST) from the Indian Space Research Organization’s (ISRO) Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR, Sriharikota, off India’s east coast.
“Our journey to Mars begins now!” announced an elated ISRO Chairman K. Radhakrishnan at the ISRO spaceport during a live broadcast of MOM’s launch from the mission control center. “We achieved orbit and we can all be proud.”

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MOM is the first of two new Mars orbiter science probes from Earth blasting off for the Red Planet this November. Half a globe away, NASA’s $671 Million MAVEN orbiter remains on target to launch barely two weeks after MOM on Nov. 18 – from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
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Read more: http://www.universetoday.com/106127/indias-first-mars-mission-launches-flawlessly-on-historic-journey-to-the-red-planet/#ixzz2jn86MGsv

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Pictures and updates from Space . com

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Liftoff! India's First Mars Probe Launches Toward the Red Planet

by Miriam Kramer, Staff Writer   |   November 05, 2013 05:00am ET
India's first-ever mission to Mars launched into space today (Nov. 5), beginning the country's first interplanetary mission to explore the solar system
With a thunderous roar, India's Mars Orbiter Mission rocketed into space at 4:08 a.m. EST (0908 GMT) from the Indian Space Research Organisation's Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, where the local time will be 2:38 p.m. in the afternoon. An ISRO Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle launched the probe on its 300-day trek into orbit around the Red Planet.
"The journey has only just begun," said ISRO Chairman K. Radhakrishnan after the successful launch. [India's First Mars Mission (Photos)]
Less than an hour after liftoff,  Radhakrishnan reported that India's Mars probe successfully entered a staging orbit around Earth. Mars Orbiter Mission director Kunhi Krishnan describing the launch as a start to a "grand and glorious" mission.
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And comments as to the value of such a Mars mission.
- LRK -

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For ISRO, chance to hide GSLV failures
Johnson T A : Chennai, Tue Nov 05 2013, 05:32 hrs

A successful launch of the Mars mission, set to be launched on Tuesday, will help Isro hide away a series of failures that its has experienced in recent times, particularly the setbacks in the development of its heavy lift Geo Synchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) which it needs to be in the premier league of space nations.
The GSLV programme which will help Isro put heavy communication satellites of the 2000 kg plus category in space, a capability it now lacks, and crucial to Chandrayaan 2 — the space agency's full fledged exploratory mission to moon — has been floundering in recent times with a launch scheduled for August 19 aborted after a leakage was detected in its systems.
Since 2001, in seven attempts to fly the GSLV — which will give India a leg up in the nearly 2 billion dollar commercial communication satellite business — Isro has had complete success only in two flights in the early stages of the development of the rocket technology.
One of the vocal critics of the move to go in for the Mars mission at the cost of focussing on the GSLV development and the Chandrayaan 2 mission has been former Isro chairman G Madhavan Nair who has labelled the Mars mission "useless'' and merely a "showpiece event''.
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Thanks for looking up with me.  
- LRK -




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WHAT THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE, AND BELIEVE, IT WILL ACHIEVE - LRK -

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