There will be no correction manoeuvre on Mangalyaan in August and the spacecraft is on track, Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) has said.
"MOM is closely following its trajectory and the mission managers have just ruled out the need for a trajectory correction manoeuvre (TCM), originally planned for August 2014, which means MOM needs only 3 of the 4 TCMs originally planned for the heliocentric journey," the Facebook page of Isro Mars Orbiter Mission said.
"All the parameters of the spacecraft are within limits. We will review again in the end of August whether any trajectory correction is needed before its injection in Mars next month," an Isro spokesperson said.
The spacecraft will be injected into Mars atmosphere on September 24. A tricky path correction was performed on Mangalyaan last month and another was planned in August. Isro had initially planned four corrections during its journey to Mars. The manoeuvres are needed to keep the spacecraft on the required path. It is also essential for maintaining the required velocity.
India's space programme reached a major milestone on November 5 last year, when it launched Mangalyaan from Sriharikota on an 11-month journey to find evidence of life on the Red Planet and position it as a budget player in the global space race.
If Mangalyaan makes it to Mars, India will join a select club, comprising the US, Russia and Europe. Once in the Mars orbit, the orbiter's five payloads will then start performing experiments for the next six months.
{{/usCountry}}If Mangalyaan makes it to Mars, India will join a select club, comprising the US, Russia and Europe. Once in the Mars orbit, the orbiter's five payloads will then start performing experiments for the next six months.
{{/usCountry}}Meanwhile, Isro is gearing up for its next major launch next month — GSLV MkIII experimental mission carrying the crew module. The date of the launch is yet to be finalised.
The Mangalyaan probe, India’s first interplanetary mission, has a Rs 450-crore price tag, which is less than a sixth of the amount earmarked for a Mars probe to be launched by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa).Only the US, Europe, and Russia have sent probes that have orbited or landed on Mars. Probes to Mars have a high failure rate and a success will be a boost for national pride, especially after a similar mission by China failed to leave Earth’s orbit in 2011.China closely followed Mangalyaan’s successful launch, which will aid India’s efforts to capture more of the $304 billion (Rs 18.73 lakh crore) global space market with its low-cost technology.