The Hindu Business Line : ISRO aims Mars mission

Hyderabad, Sept.27 With the mission to the Moon on course of preparations, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), has now set its eyes on the red planet — Mars. ISRO has unveiled preliminary ideas of sending a spacecraft to Mars. The Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV), will be capable of sending a 500 kg orbiter (spacecraft) to the Mars, said the ISRO chief, Mr N. Madhavan Nair.

With new excitement on lunar missions from countries such as Japan, China, India, Russia and the US and the US’s long-term programme to Mars, capturing the imagination at the ongoing 58th International Astronautical Congress (IAC), here, Mr Nair’s pointers to India joining the Mars bandwagon also seemed most appropriate.

He urged the scientific community to come up with ideas to crystallise the objectives for the Mars mission and thereafter a definitive project could be put in place. At present the technical capability to send a spacecraft to Mars exists, the ISRO chief said.

On the Moon mission, Chandrayaan I was on course and is expected to take off in the summer of 2008. With increased co-operation between ISRO and NASA (National Aeronautical Space Agency) of US, at least two US payloads are expected to fly on Chandrayaan I by the PSLV to the Moon’s orbit for studies, he said.

The ISRO is also ready with the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), which is a constellation of small satellites in the low earth orbit, intended to boost a wide range of communication systems.

The first of the seven satellites intended to be launched for the IRNSS would be scheduled for the end of 2008. The rest would be in place by 2011. The IRNSS is estimated to cost around Rs 1,600 crores and is India’s own regional answer to bigger GPS (Global Positioning Systems) projects like Galileo (Europe), Glonass (Russian) etc. The Chinese are also reportedly building their own regional constellation.

On the launch plans, Mr Nair said ISRO has decided to launch 60 satellites in the next five years from Sriharikota. These satellites would be used for communications, meteorology, studying oceans, atmosphere, environment and specific scientific projects.