Prologue

Mars Planet: Basics

Mars: Past missions
MoM (ISRO) vs MAVEN (NASA)
1. MoMs Launch Vehicle
2. MoM @Mars
3. Payloads and purpose?
5. Do we need Mars Mission?
1. Anti-Arguments
2. Pro-arguments
1. #1: cash will be recovered
2. #2: Soft Power
3. #3: Did not steal from poors month
4. #4: Making History
5. #5: Misc.
6. Mock Questions
7. Correct Answers for the MCQs
Prologue
Old article, just updating a few bits after Mangalyaan reached Mars in September 2014.
There is no dearth of ball by ball commentary and technical articles in newspaper, but for
the exam focus should be on: basics, purpose, pros and cons.
Otherwise September seems to be the busiest and tiresome month of 2014 for
competitive aspirants- Modi Government launching a new scheme-committee-initiative
every day, SC giving a new landmark verdict every day, newspapers are littered with
columns on foreign relations, Ebola, Mars, ISIS, J&K floods, Scotland and what not.
Mars Planet: Basics
Has two moons: Phobos and Deimos
4th planet from Sun
2nd smallest planet in the Solar system after Mercury.
Diameter: ~6800 kms (Mars); Earth (~12700 kms)
Volume wise, ~8 Mars would fit inside our Earth.
One Martian day: 24 hours 37 minutes
One Martian year: 687 days
Mars is also tilted on its axis (25 degrees).
Mars gravity 1/10th of Earth.
When Sun and Mars are in opposite direction, it can be easily observed from Earth.
How far is Mars from Earth?
Shortest
farthest
56 million kms
400 million kms, when both are on opposite sides of solar system.
Mars: Past missions
List is not exhaustive
Success
#EPICFAILS
USSR: Korabl series, Mars 1969 series,
USSR Mars orbiter (70s)
Phobos Grunt
USA / NASA
USA Mariner series before mid-60s
Marine series (~mid 60s)
Viking series (mid 70s)
Pathfinder (~mid 90s)
1.
2.
3.
4.

Rovers: Spirt, Opportunity (2003)

Phoenix (2007)
Curiosity (2011)
Maven (2013-14)
European Space Agency (2003) Beagal lender
(although images lost)
ISROs Mars Orbitor Mission (2013-14)
MoM (ISRO) vs MAVEN (NASA)
ISROs MoM
Mars Orbitor Mission
launch vehicle=PSLV
launched on 5th Nov 2013
reached Mars on 24th Sep 2014
launched from Sriharikota, Andhra
Rs.450 crore
~1,350 kg
Doing three studies:
1. Surface/geology: using camera
and spectrometer.
2. (Particle) Environment: using
MENCA
3. Atmosphere: using Photometer
and Methane sensor
has five instruments/payloads

Japans Nozomi- failed to enter Mars

orbit (1998-2003)

NASAs Maven
Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution Mission
(MAVEN)
Atlas V rockets. (more powerful than PSLV)
18th Nov 2013
Reached Mars on 21st Sep 2014.
launched from Cape Canaveral in Florida, US.
$671 million
??

Only study Martian (upper) atmosphere.

based on that data: Itll give clues about
martian climate, geologic, and geochemical
conditions over time
Will find the answer: Did Mars ever had
suitable environment to support life?

has eight instrument- spectrograph,

magnetometer, ion analyzer etc.
The spacecraft may also provide communications
relay support for future Mars landers and rovers.

MoMs Launch Vehicle

PSLV
GSLV
Polar satellite launch vehicle
Geosynchronous satellite launch vehicle
Can carry upto 1600 kg satellite
2500kg
ISRO had used PSLV XL (C25) launch vehicle to launch the Mangalyaan (Mars spacecraft).
Why?
1. At that time, GSLV tests were not successful. Last time they tried GSLV to launch GSAT14 satellite and failed because of fuel leak. (Aug 2013)
2. Mangalyaan weighs ~1300 kg. PSLV can easily carry this weight.
3. PSLV is tried and tested technology.
Factoids
MoM/Mangalyaan: first Indian spacecraft to cross Earths escape velocity of 11.2 km per
second.
Mangalyaan traveled for ~300 days, covering ~65 crore kilometers, and reached Martian
orbit in September 2014.
Mangalyan is not the fastest spacecraft to reach Mars. Others are far ahead of It, in
terms of speed. For example- European Space Agencys Mars mission (2003) reached
Mars in ~210 days.
MoM cost 7 rupees per kms to reach Mars.
MoM @Mars

Nov 2013: MoM Launched from Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh

Sep 2014: MoM reached Mars orbit
MoM in Mars Orbit
Periapsis: nearest point
~420 kms
Apoapsis: farthest point
~77,000 kms
time to finish one circle of Mars
~73 hours / ~ 3 days.
Orbit inclination
150 degrees
Payloads and purpose?

Q. What is the purpose of sending MoM?

Ans. To find out composition of Mars SAM (Surface Atmosphere Minerals), using five
payloads/instruments:
Study Mars
Payload
detail
Mars Color camera.
Study surface, dust storms etc.
Surface
1.Color Camera
Take photos of Mars satellites: Phobos and Deimos.
Mars Exospheric Neutral Composition Analyzer.
2.MENCA Gandhi
To study neutral gas atoms in the Martian
atmosphere.
Methane Sensor for Mars (MSM).
3.Methane
If methane + water detected=possible that at some
Sensor
point of time, Mars had supported life form.
Atmosphere
Lyman Alpha Photometer (LAP).
To Measure hydrogen and deuterium.
Deuterium = heavier than hydrogen.Water made from
4.Photometer
heavy hydrogen is heavier and hence it evaporates
differently.
Knowing Hydrogen : Deuterium ratio will help
answer how did water vanish from Mars?

Minerals

5.Spectrometer

Thermal Infrared Imaging spectrometer (TIS). To

study mineral resources of Mars
And to help UPSC update its Mains GS1 syllabus:
Distribution of key natural resources across the Earth
AND Mars.

ISTRAC
ISRO Telemetry, Tracking & Command Network @Banglore.
Previously tracked and commanded Chandrayaan-1
Now doing the same for Mars orbiter.
Do we need Mars Mission?
(For Group Discussion GD/Interview)
Anti-Arguments
1. Crores of rupee wasted- could be used to feed millions of hungry people in India.
Millions of children suffering from malnutrition, half the junta doesnt have toilets- Modi
himself highlighting this issue in his every speech.
2. Better get those thousands of ISRO scientists and engineers to comeup with new
technology to fix malnutrition and malnutrition.
3. ISROs budget is better spent to meet Indias communication needs and bring down
digital divide.
4. Even Airtel has sued ISRO for not meeting its contract obligations. So, ISRO better focus
on present rather than doing some mars research whose benefits can materialize may
be after 100-200 years.
5. ISRO has installed a fancy methane detector in this spacecraft. But NASAs curiosity
rover data has already concluded that Mars environment doesnt contain
methane. ISRO is only doing gaddha majoori (donkey labour). Counter argument:
NASAs Curiosity rover measured presence of methane in a small area. But ISRO will
scan entire Martian environment to detect Methane.
6. GSLV testing has not giving positive result yet. Had they waited for GSLV testing to
finish- Mars Mission could be done in 2016. (Even Chandrayan-2 project is stalled due to
this GSLV problem). But it seems ISRO chairman wants media publicity before retiring,
so made he all the haste to launch Mars Mission in 2013 using PSLV (instead of GSLV).
7. Less of a scientific pursuit and more of a space race with China- me too going on Mars.
First India should overtake China in terms of GDP and poverty removal.
8. Britain, Japan, World Bank etc. reduce the donation to India thinking since India has lot
of money of run such Mars adventures, they must have money to take care of their
poors as well.
(To drag the argument further non-seriously)
1. This is just publicity stunt to divert attention from real issues. Earlier Chandryaan found
traces of water on Moon, then Aaj-tak etc. Hindi channels ran 24/7 reports for weeks. In
the meantime government can go scot free with bigger scams and inflation.
2. And most importantly, the youngsters have to mugup one more stupid topic for the
competitive exams. The financial cost of combined man-hours wasted in studying such
topics= alone worth 13% of GDP, so much for Demographic dividend.
Pro-arguments
#1: cash will be recovered
At the core of Anti arguments= Cash that ISRO has wasted in this Mars project. But in reality
its an investment that will be recovered within a few decades, How?
1. Many countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America are seeing good economic growth. But
they lack skilled manpower, technology and budget to setup their own launch vehicles
and premier space agencies.

2. But they too need satellites for communication and military. So, they outsource the
satellite launch/survey work to established players.
3. ISROs commercial Arm ANTRIX makes annual profit of ~100 crore rupees from such
outsourced contracts.
4. ISRO spent only 450 crore rupees. NASA has spent billions of dollars on Mars. This
Makes ISRO world-famous as a prudent cost saving space agency= more clients via its
commercial arm ANTRIX = more money incoming.
So, we can see this Mars mission as ISROs 450 crore rupees advertisement / PR campaign- to
impress those potential clients and get more contracts=> money will be recovered and profit
will be made.
#2: Soft Power
As ISRO establishes reputation, gets more contracts from third world- it can be used as a tool to
exercise soft power. How?
Give
take
their support for Indias claim to
Permanent seat in UNSC
personnel /technology exchange
their votes in our favour whenever
programs with developing countries
Kashmir/Arunachal issues popup in UN
giving discounts on their space
General Assembly
projects/infrastructure
Oil-gas exploration contracts in their
territory and so on.
In short, there is more to international relations than what meets the eyes. 450 crore is a very
petty amount to accomplish many diplomatic victories- [compared to the thousands of crore
rupees weve given to Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal and Bhutan via soft loans so they dont
shelter terrorists and secessionists on their soil.]
#3: Did not steal from poors month
1. Government spends barely ~0.35% of budget on space programs. And even out of that
~0.35% allocation, ISRO spent only 8% on Mars Missions. There are plenty of
government schemes with way bigger budgetary allotments for poor people. So its not
like government stopped/reduced expenditure on some xyz scheme for poors to fund
ISROs Mars adventure.
2. Agreed, poverty should be removed, and everyone must get food security. But the
proposed food security bill will need ~1-2 lakh crores rupees every year.
3. Even If ISRO didnt spend 450 crores on Mars, the money thus saved- wont make a big
contribution to food security anyways.
#4: Making History
Until now, only three agencies had succeeded in Mars Mission
1. European Space Agency (ESA) of European consortium,
2. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of the US
3. Roscosmos of Russia
4. And ISRO became the fourth one.
Even USA, Japan and China failed to reach mars in their first attempt.
Overall, 51 missions made so far, only 21 have succeeded.
ISROs Mars mission succeeded in its first attempt (that too without coaching), hence its
a milestone in the history of space explorations.
Even China has applauded this event as pride of Asia.
#5: Misc.
1. Will attract talented desi scientist/engineers to join ISRO. Thus, braindrain will decline.
2. Data gathered from ISROs mission, can be used to send manned mission (astronauts)
on Mars later, with collaboration of NASA etc.

3. The technology used in this mission has potential application in weather forecast,
computer tech, health-medicine etc. in future.
4. Space research is not waste of time. 1999 Odisha cyclone killed >10000 people. But
2013 cyclone Phalin killed very few, because Indian satellite gave accurate weather
prediction about where and when the storm would hit. Space research has given
immense benefits to Agriculture, education, fisheries and defense. (Counter argument:
then send more weather/education satellites- not spacecrafts to Moon and Mars!)
5. Humanity would not have progressed, if we had not taken such leaps into the unknown.
And space is indeed the biggest unknown out there.
Mock Questions
Q1. Mars is larger / higher than Earth in terms of
1. gravity
2. diameter
3. no. of moons
4. days in a year
Correct choices
A. All of them
B. Only 3 and 4
C. Only 1, 3 and 4
D. None of them
Q2. Which of the following missions have failed to reach Mars?
1. Viking
2. Phobos
3. Nozomi
Correct choices
A. Only 1 and 2
B. Only 2 and 3
C. Only 1 and 3
D. All of them
Q3. Why did ISROs Mangalyaan or MoM used PSLV instead of GSLV as launch vehicle?
a. PSLV can carry more weight than GSLV
b. PSLV could carry MoMs weight and had proven track record of success.
c. Both A and B
d. Neither A nor B
Q4. Similarities between ISROs MoM and NASAs MAVEN missions?
1. Both lack Land rovers
2. Both aim to study Martian atmosphere
3. Both were launched and reached Mars in the same months.
Correct statements are
A. Only 1 and 2
B. Only 2 and 3
C. Only 1 and 3
D. All of them
Q5. Whats the purpose of ISROs Mars mission?
1. Study its surface
2. study its atmosphere
3. Study its mineral composition
Correct statements are
A. Only 1 and 2
B. Only 2 and 3
C. Only 1 and 3

D. All of them
Q6. Incorrect pairs of ISRO Mars payloads vs. purpose
1. MENCA: Methane and Natural gas
2. Spectrometer: study surface and dust storms
3. Photometer: Study Hydrogen and deuterium
Answer choices
A. Only 1 and 2
B. Only 2 and 3
C. Only 1 and 3
D. None of them
Mains
1. India, a country faced with plethora of socio-economic problems, should not involve in
space race with developed countries. Do you agree? Justify your stand. 200 words
2. Discuss the importance of ISROs MoM Mission as a milestone event in the space
exploration programs of India. 200 words.
3. Write an Essay: The hunger of exploration and the thrill of discovery are not for the fainthearted.
Correct Answers for the MCQs
1. B: only 3 (moons) and 4 (year)
2. B: 2 and 3 phobos and nazomi
3. only B
4. D all correct
5. D study SAM: Surface-atmosphere minerals
6. A: 1 and 2 wrong. MENCA is for neutral gas, not Natural gas.