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Mars Orbiter Mission may have longer life

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Mars Orbiter Mission may have longer life Empty Mars Orbiter Mission may have longer life

Post by Seva Lamberdar Thu Nov 28, 2013 9:50 am

BANGALORE: If the Mars orbiter can weather a solar eclipse expected to occur in the Martian orbit sometime in April-May 2015, and maintain its health and course, its life will increase by a few weeks, allowing India to probe more.

Going by fuel consumption pattern, the craft will be left with 76 kg of propellant, 56 kg more than required to last its expected six months of life around Mars. As on Wednesday, a total of 338.9 kg of fuel has been used for various manoeuvres, including the launch on November 5. "The December 1 Trans Mars Injection manoeuvre will have a burn duration of 22.43 minutes, using 190 kg of fuel to gain an incremental velocity of 648 m/sec. And the Mars Orbit Insertion, planned on September 24, 2014, will use 247 kg of fuel with a burn period of 28.8 minutes," a senior scientist explained.

So of the 852 kg of fuel the craft is carrying, a total of 776 kg would have been used by the time it reaches its designated orbit, leaving 56 kg of fuel. However, according to scientific secretary V Koteswara Rao, it needs only about 20 kg of fuel to survive for six months, which has been set as its lifespan there.

Therefore, another scientist explained, it will have additional fuel, which is generally kept as a backup for course-correcting manoeuvres and other glitches.

MOM programme directorM Annadurai, told TOI: "The four course corrections that are planned also need not take place if it maintains its course and reaches the designated orbit, leaving us with more fuel and allowing the spacecraft to continue operations."

He, however, said that a solar eclipse expected around April-May 2015 may hinder the possibility of additional life. "If we had carried larger solar panels and batteries, it would have been easier. But we have the best composition onboard now. And if MOM survives the eclipse, its life can increase," he said.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Mars-Orbiter-Mission-may-have-longer-life/articleshow/26491457.cms

>>> in layman terms, the above 20 kg fuel left for the orbiter in Martian orbit is roughly equal to the weight of cooking gas in 1.5 residential lpg cylinders.
Seva Lamberdar
Seva Lamberdar

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Join date : 2012-11-29

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