Question 85 from UPSC CSE 2016 - Science and
Technology

Question

Consider the following statements:
1. The Mangalyaan launched by ISRO is also called the Mars Orbiter Mission.
2. The Mangalyaan made India the second country to have a spacecraft orbit the Mars after the USA.
3. The Mangalyaan made India the only country to be successful in making its spacecraft orbit the Mars in its very first attempt.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

IASCODEX · Accepted Answer

Correct Option: C. 1 and 3 only

Strategy: Evaluate each statement based on factual knowledge of the Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM). Verify the common name 'Mangalyaan'. Recall the chronological order of successful Mars orbiters to identify which agencies preceded India. Acknowledge India's unique achievement of succeeding on its first attempt. Select the option containing the correct statements.

Key Info: **Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) / Mangalyaan**
- **Launch:** November 5, 2013, by ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.
- **Orbital Insertion:** Successfully entered Mars orbit on September 24, 2014.
- **Purpose:** To study Mars' surface features, morphology, mineralogy, and the Martian atmosphere, particularly methane detection.
- **Achievements:**
  - India became the fourth space agency/entity (after NASA, Roscosmos/Soviet Union, and ESA) to reach Mars.
  - India became the first Asian country to reach Mars orbit.
  - India became the first country in the world to successfully insert a spacecraft into Mars orbit on its very first attempt.
  - It was the most economical interplanetary mission globally at the time.
  - The mission surpassed its expected lifespan, operating for over eight years before losing communication in April 2022.
- **Payloads:** Equipped with five scientific instruments to collect data on Mars' atmosphere and surface.

**Successful Mars Missions (Orbital Insertion)**
Various countries and space agencies have attempted Mars missions. The entities that successfully achieved Mars orbit before India include:
- **United States (NASA):** Mariner 9 (1971), Viking 1 & 2 orbiters (1976), Mars Global Surveyor (1997), Mars Odyssey (2001), Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (2006), MAVEN (2014).
- **Soviet Union (Roscosmos):** Mars 2 & 3 (1971, partial success), Mars 5 (1973), Phobos 2 (1989).
- **European Space Agency (ESA):** Mars Express (2003).

**ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation)**
- **Establishment:** 1969, by Vikram Sarabhai.
- **Mandate:** Develop and apply space technology for national benefit.
- **Key Missions:** Chandrayaan-1 (Moon, 2008), Mars Orbiter Mission (Mars, 2013), Astrosat (Space Observatory, 2015), Chandrayaan-2 (Moon, 2019), Gaganyaan (Human Spaceflight Program, ongoing), Aditya-L1 (Solar, 2023).

IASCODEX · Answer

Option A: 1 only

IASCODEX · Answer

Option B: 2 and 3 only

IASCODEX · Answer

Option D: 1, 2, and 3