This gallery highlights images captured by the Mars Orbiter Mission. Here, a global mosaic of Mars. ISRO The Martian Moon Phobos, silhouetted against the Martian surface. ISRO Water ice clouds over Olympus Mons. ISRO The Coprates region on Mars. ISRO A 3D portrayal of the Olympus Mons shield volcano. ISRO An overview of Valles Marineris. ISRO Another full-disc image of Mars. ISRO An overview of Henry Crater. ISRO Three linked craters on Mars. ISRO A view of Gale Crater, where NASA's Curiosity Rover is presently exploring. ISRO Image showing a dust storm over the northern hemisphere of Mars. ISRO Part of the Ma'adim Vallis region. ISRO A 3D view of Arsia Mons, a large volcano on Mars. ISRO Clouds seen near Arsia Mons. ISRO
Without fanfare, an Indian spacecraft just completed its fifth year in orbit around Mars last week. As the spacecraft nears the end of its design lifetime, this is a moment that seems worth a little more recognition.
When it launched the Mars Orbiter Mission in November, 2013, India had never attempted an interplanetary flight before. And Mars is really treacherous. About 50% of spacecraft sent to Mars fail either upon launch, attempting to enter orbit, or landing on the surface. India made it on the country's first try, with a budget significantly less than $100 million. The spacecraft remains in good working order, with fuel for at least another year of operations.
While the orbiter didn't make any huge new scientific discoveries—it had neither the very best cameras nor instruments Read More – Source
