India's Close-up View of Mars

Jen DiMascio February 10, 2016
Credit: Indian Space Research Organization

India's Mars mission, Mangalyaan, has spent more than 15 months in a highly elliptical orbit making scientific observations of Mars’ atmosphere, and the spacecraft is still “in fine health,” according to an ISRO official. The mission has cost India about 4.5 billion rupees ($66 million).

Credit: Indian Space Research Organization

Olympus Mons is one of the largest volcanoes in the Martian region. It is a shield volcano whose diameter is about the size of Arizona—624 km (388 mi.) wide. The volume is about 100 times larger than Hawaii’s Mauna Loa. 

Credit: Indian Space Research Organization

The Shield Volcano Tharsis Tholus is a steep, dome-shaped volcano that rises about 9 km in elevation, located in the eastern Tharsis region on Mars.

Credit: Indian Space Research Organization

The Pital crater is an impact crater located in the eastern part of Valles Marineris—a region in Mars that is home to the largest system of canyons on the planet.

Credit: Indian Space Research Organization

Phobos, the larger of Mars’ two moons, is silhouetted against the Martian surface.

India is continuing to reel in images from the red planet from its Mangalyaan mission, which was launched in November 2013. The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) recently signed a letter of intent to partner with the French Space Agency CNES on its next mission to Mars from 2018-20, which may involve a lander and rover.

 

Jen DiMascio

Based in Washington, Jen previously managed Aviation Week’s worldwide defense, space and security coverage.