After Chandrayaan, its mission to Mars: Madhavan Nair
Kochi, Nov 23: After Chandrayaan 1, India's first unmanned mission to moon, its a mission to Mars, the next ambition of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), said G Madhavan Nair, ISRO Chairman to mediapersons at Kochi International Airport.
He was on his way to Guruvayoor to offer prayers at the temple. ''The study for Mars exploration has already started. It is expected to take at least four years to complete the initial studies to take up the Mars Mission,'' Mr Nair on Saturday, Nov 22 said. Two scientific instruments of the US, planted on board of the Chandrayaan-I spacecraft were switched on a couple of days back.
The data from those instruments would be available within a week, he said. Two more equipment on Chandrayaan-I are yet to be operated. Those instruments would be switched on shortly, he added.
India became the first country when the stereoscopic camera in Moon Impact Probe (MIP) sent pictures of five metre resolution.
Earlier, Japanese spacecraft was the best in the world as it was sending pictures of 10 m resolution. Chandrayaan-I mission was fully successful, All major steps of the mission is nearing completion, the ISRO chief stated.
UNI