India is all set to give the go-ahead for an ambitious mission to Mars, expected in November 2013, a top space department official said here on Saturday.
“A lot of studies have been done on the possible mission to Mars”, secretary in the department of space and chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation K. Radhakrishnan told reporters here.
“We have come to the last phase of approvals and I am sure that, maybe soon, we will be hearing an announcement on the Mars mission,” he said.
According to Isro officials, a significant amount of work on the planned Mars mission has been completed and scientific payloads have been short-listed.
The project report for Indian Mars orbiter mission has been submitted for government approval.
The mission envisages launching an orbiter around Mars using Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-XL). The orbiter will be placed in an orbit of 500 x 80,000 km around Mars and will have a provision to carry nearly 25 kg of scientific payloads on-board.
The tentative scientific objective for the Mars mission will be to focus on life, climate, geology, origin, evolution and sustainability of life on the planet,” according to Isro.
Scientific payloads have been short-listed by Isro’s advisory committee for space sciences (ADCOS) review committee.
Baseline, solar array and reflector configuration of the satellite have been finalised, the Bengaluru-headquartered space agency said.
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Government extends ban on ltte
age correspondent
New Delhi, July 14
The Centre has extended the ban on LTTE for continuing to adopt a strong anti-India posture and posing a grave threat to the security of its citizens.
“LTTE continues to adopt a strong anti-India posture as also continues to pose a grave threat to the security of Indian nationals, it is necessary to declare LTTE as an ‘unlawful association’ with immediate effect,” the home ministry notification said.
Pointing towards the widespread use of Internet portals to foster anti-India feeling amongst the Sri Lankan Tamils by holding the top Indian political leaders and bureaucrats responsible for the defeat of the LTTE, the MHA said such attempts by separatist Tamil chauvinist and pro-LTTE groups to enhance the support base for LTTE in India, particularly in Tamil Nadu, can have a strong disintegrating influence over the territorial integrity of India. “Such propaganda through Internet, which remains continued, is likely to impact VVIP security adversely in India,” the notification said.