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The Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) as on October 31, 2013 incurred Rs 244.06 crore as against its total budget of Rs 450 crore. the balance amount is planned to be spent during the remaining period of current financial year and next financial year.
Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions and Prim Minister’s Office Shri V.Narayansamy gave this information in reply to a written question in the Lok Sabha today said the total funds sanctioned by the Government for this mission is Rs 450 crores, including Mars Orbiter Spacecraft, Launch Vehicle and the Ground Segment.
The actual expenditure incurred on this mission up to October 31, 2013 was Rs 244.06 crore. The balance amount is planned to be spent during the remaining period of current financial year and next financial year, said the Union Minister.
He said, the Mission would enable technological up-gradation for the country and would provide opportunities in planetary research for the scientific community of the country. It would generate national pride and excitement in the young minds. The 12th Five Year Plan envisages initiation of Mars Orbiter follow-on mission studies including identification of scientific instruments.
The financial allocation for space research in India compares well to that of other developing countries, said inister of Prim Minister’s Office Shri V Narayansamy. The Minister said for the 12th Five Year plan it stood at Rs 39,570 crore.
In a reply to a written question in the Lok Sabha today, the Minister gave out the budgetary allocations made for space research and technology, which includes Space Technology, Space Sciences, Space Applications, Directions & Administration and INSAT Operational systems in the last three years along with its percentage to India’s GDP
| Year Budget Allocated | (Rs. In crores) | Percentage to India’s GDP |
| 2010-11 | 5778.04 | 0.07% |
| 2011-12 | 6626.04 | 0.07% |
| 2012-13 | 6715.04 | 0.07% |
The indicative Plan outlay for space research during the 12th Five Year Plan (2012-17) is Rs 39,750 crore. The actual plan expenditure during 11th Five Year Plan (2007-12) was Rs 15,195 crore.
The increase in Plan allocation during 12th Five Year Plan is intended to undertake space research in the areas of development of Advanced Communication Satellites, development of Advanced Launch Vehicle Technology, high-resolution imaging system, Satellite Navigation Systems, Space Science & Planetary Exploration and Disaster Management Support Programme, said the Minister.
Challenges ahead for Mars Mission
Challenges ahead for Mars Mission
The challenges likely to be faced by ISRO in this mission in the days to come include include perform in-orbit maintenance of the Mars Orbiter and few mid course corrections in the trajectory during a voyage of 300 days. Mars orbit capture / insertion and to orbit Mars in an elliptical orbit of 366 km x 80000 km and explore Mars surface features, morphology, mineralogy and Martian atmosphere by indigenous five scientific instruments on board the Mars Orbiter, said the Union Minister V Narayanaswamy.
India's first interplanetary spacecraft, Mars Orbiter was successfully launched on November 5, 2013 at 14:38 hrs (IST), by India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLV-C25, from Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota.
The mission has been successful so far and has progressed as planned. Subsequent to the injection of MarsOrbiter Spacecraft into the elliptical orbit (perigee of 248.4 km and apogee of 23,550 km) by PSLV-C25, a series of orbit raising maneuvers were performed from Spacecraft Control Centre at ISRO’s Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network, Bangalore. The critical maneuver to place Mars Orbiter in the Mars Transfer Trajectory was successfully carried out in the early hours of December 1, 2013.
The Earth orbiting phase of the MarsOrbiter has been completed and Mars Orbiter has successfully escaped the Earth’s Sphere Of Influence on December 04, 2013. The Orbiter is now on a course to encounter Mars after a journey of about 300 days. Besides these maneuvers, health checks of the Mars Orbiter as well as its payloads have been performed and all systems on-board Mars Orbiter are performing normally.
