Historic Mars Orbiter Mission Shutdown after Eight Years of Mission

Category : Science and Tech Published on: October 05 2022

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India's Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) may have finally reached the end of its operations after eight years spent orbiting the Red Planet.
Ground stations operated by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) have lost communication with the spacecraft.
The precise cause isn't yet clear; the orbiter may have run out of propellant, MOM's battery may drained beyond the safe operating limit, or an automated maneuver may have cut communications.
Having operated at Mars for eight years, MOM — also called Mangalyaan — has far exceeded its expected mission life of just six to 10 months. The craft was launched in 5 November 2013 and entered orbit around Mars in September 2014.
This was ISRO's first interplanetary mission. With a budget of Rs 450 crore ($74 million), it is one of the most cost-effective space missions in the world.