MARS ORBITER Mangalyaan will live more than its "life span" of 6 months

incupdates.com

Orbiter Mission (MOM) Mangal yaan, spacecraft launched by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), has a lifespan of six month as per the initial plans, but it is likely to outlive the set lifespan.

The orbiter is expected to live beyond the lifespan of 6-months as the spacecraft is carrying reserve propellant on board.

The Mars Orbiter would have completed its life span on March 24, 2015, but that will not happen as India's first endeavour to the Red Planet is yet to give more productive results. The scientific and health systems of the spacecraft are operating in satisfactory state.

Minister of Science and Technology, Jitendra Singh said in Lok Sabha that the scheduled life span of MOM, after its launch into the Mars orbit on 24th September, 2014, was six months and it would complete it on 24th of March.

The increased duration of observation of Mars by five scientific payloads will enhance the planetary science data. It would also enable coverage of Mars in different seasons."

MOM has achieved various feats after it was inserted into the Mars orbit on September 24 that includes first interplanetary mission successfully realized by India and first Indian spacecraft to include full scale on-board autonomy to get over the communication gaps and long distances owing to non-visibility periods.

ISRO designed, constructed and launched the entire mission MOM, within a budget of Rs 450 crore.