Mangalyaan Still Going Strong- To Have Course Correction

Admin

2016-08-12 10:05:27

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Nearly two years after it was launched, 'Mangalyaan' is still functioning well, and with a planned course correction next January to extend its battery life, it would keep going for many years, according to ISRO chairman A S Kiran Kumar .

The correction in the trajectory of the Mars Orbiter Mission (MoM) is required to keep the power supply strong during a long-duration eclipse - caused by shadow of Mars falling on it for 7-8 hours - so that it could continue to function longer. The long-duration eclipse period (in January) could cripple the satellite if no corrections are done because the battery cannot support long-duration eclipse