Spectacular Images from the ISRO’s MOM Spacecraft

It’s been a while since I’ve written about Mars, and in particular, the Mars Orbiter Mission circling the Red Planet under the control of scientists at the Indian Space Research Organisation. It’s imaging the planet and studying the atmosphere.

While everybody’s attention has been focused on Dawn and New Horizons and other missions, this spacecraft has been sending back image after image of the planet, taken with the Colour Camera. Like this one — a shot of the tiny moon Phobos silhouetted against the Martian surface. They don’t go into a lot of detail about each image, so I wonder if the blue line along the limb is the thin atmosphere?

This mission was launched as a test of flight hardware, a sort of “proof of concept” for the Indians to use as they plan further adventures in space. The images are really quite lovely, and the organization has put up a nice gallery here. It’ll keep you busy while waiting for future communications from MOM (and all the other missions at Mars); right now the planet is behind the Sun as seen from here on Earth. That makes it difficult to talk to spacecraft until July 1, 2015. To be safe, the spacecraft’s instruments have gone into hibernation, and will awaken when it’s safe to talk to Earth again.

Take some time to browse the MOM site and marvel at what the Indians have accomplished with their first planetary flight!