Wednesday 28 March 2012

ISRO Gets Funding For Mars Mission, Eyes Nov 2013 Launch

March 21, 2012


The Indian Space Research Organization's (ISRO's) plans for Mars exploration got a shot in the arm with the government allocating the ambitious program Rs 125 crore (over $24 million) in the Union Budget announced March 16th.


The budget documents state that the space agency plans to launch a Mars Orbiter as early as November next year with a 25 kg scientific payload
The Mars mission, which comprises putting a spacecraft in the Red Planet’s orbit to study its atmosphere, could be launched in November 2013 by ISRO’s workhorse rocket — the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle.


“We are yet to finalise the scientific experiments for the Mars Mission,” an ISRO official said.


The space agency had identified three launch windows — one each in 2013, 2016 and 2018. Top ISRO officials were earlier targeting launch opportunities in 2016 and 2018, but the budget papers show that the plans have been advanced.


The space department got a sizeable Rs 2,283 crore hike in allocation in the Union Budget, over the 2011-12 revised estimates of Rs 4,432 crore.


The total plan expenditure towards rocket technology is Rs.1,969.52 crore and towards satellite technology is Rs.1,038.56 crore. Besides the Mars Orbiter Mission, Isro’s Human Spaceflight program has got Rs 60.46 crore in the budget.


The agency’s ambitious plan to put in place a regional navigation satellite system for the Indian subcontinent, on the lines of the US-operated Global Positioning System, has been allocated Rs 170 crore in the budget.

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