India's Mars mission successful, history made

September 24, 2014

MOM Success 24 1

Bangalore, Sep 24: India today made history by successfully placing its spacecraft in orbit around Mars, becoming the first country in the world to succeed in such an inter-planetary mission in the maiden attempt itself.

At 7.17 AM, the 440 Newton Liquid Apogee Motor (LAM) sizzled with life as it burnt along with the thrusters to slow down the Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) spacecraft to be captured by the Red Planet.

"MOM has met Mangal," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said annnouncing the mission's success, after nerve-wracking final moments at the command centre of Indian Space Research Organisation here.

Modi, who witnessed the operation along with the space scientists, said the odds were stacked against "us with only 21 of the 51 missions to Mars being successful," but "we have prevailed."

An elated Prime Minister patted the back of ISRO Chairman K Radhakrishnan and complimented the Indian space scientists for making space history.

With the success of "Mangalyaan", India has become the first country in the world to go to Mars in the very first try. European, American and Russian probes have managed to orbit or land on the planet, but after several attempts.

Mars Orbiter Insertion was carried out automatically by commands loaded onto the spacecraft after its velocity was slowed down from 22.1 km per second to 4.4 km per second to be captured by the Martian orbit.

The spacecraft had entered the Martian neighbourhood on Monday.

At the time of MOM's orbital insertion, its signals took about 12 minutes and 28 seconds to travel to Earth for reception by NASA's Deep Space Network Stations in Canberra and Goldstone that relayed the data in real time to ISRO's station here.

The first sign of success in the final moments came when ISRO announced that burn of engines on India's Mars orbiter had been confirmed. "All engines of Mars orbiter are going strong. Burn confirmed," said ISRO signalling that history was in the making.

Igniting the main engine was critical as it had been lying in slumber for about 300 days and was woken up briefly for four seconds on Monday.

It was a make or break tricky manoeuvre as even the slightest error would have pushed the orbiter into deep depths of space.

Much of the spacecraft's manoeuvre took place behind Mars, as seen from Earth. This meant that from a point four minutes into the Mars Orbiter Insertion (MOI) burn until three minutes after the scheduled end of the manoeuvre, teams on Earth had no insight into the spacecraft's progress.

The orbiter will keep moving in an elliptical path at least for six months with its instruments sending their gleanings back home.

The success in placing the spacecraft in the Martian orbit has made India the fourth space power after the United States, Europe and Russia to orbit or land on the Red Planet.

The Rs 450-crore Mangalyaan aims to study Mars' surface and mineral composition, and scan its atmosphere for methane, a chemical strongly tied to life on Earth.

The spacecraft was launched on November 5, 2013 on homegrown PSLV rocket from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh on its nine-month long odyssey. It had escaped the earth gravity pull on December 1, 2013.

India's MOM is the cheapest inter-planetary mission. It cost about a tenth of NASA's Mars mission Maven that entered the Martian orbit on September 22.

The 1,350 kg spacecraft is equipped with five instruments including a sensor to track methane or marsh gas -- a possible sign of life, a colour camera and a thermal imaging spectrometer to map the surface and mineral wealth of the Red Planet.

US' NASA and its MAVEN team have congratulated ISRO on its Mars arrival, the Indian space agency said.

MOM Success 24 1

MOM Success 24 1

MOM Success 24 1

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News Network
January 7,2025

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Mangaluru: A tragic road accident claimed the life of a young medical store owner on Monday, January 6, near Tiblapadavu, Natekallu, located on the outskirts of the city.

The victim, identified as 25-year-old Ausaf, was the proprietor of Hajira Medicals and the son of Jaleel, a resident of Derlakatte. 

The unfortunate incident unfolded as Ausaf was riding his bike from Derlakatte toward Tiblapadavu. Upon approaching a divider near Tiblapadavu, a lorry made a sudden turn, resulting in a collision between the motorbike and the rear of the lorry. Ausaf succumbed to his injuries on the spot.

Having completed his education a few years ago, Ausaf had taken up the responsibility of managing Hajira Medicals at Derlakatte Junction. He was well-known in his community for his dedication and service.

Authorities at the Mangaluru South Traffic Police Station have registered a case, and CCTV footage capturing the incident is under review. The tragic loss has left the local community in shock, mourning the untimely demise of a promising young entrepreneur. 

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News Network
January 8,2025

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Mangaluru, Jan 8: The serene beaches near Kulai Jetty under the limits of Surathkal police station turned into a scene of tragedy on Wednesday, January 8, as a group of four close friends saw their day of joy morph into heartbreak. 

Three young men lost their lives in the unforgiving waves, while one narrowly escaped death, saved by the heroic efforts of local fishermen.

The victims have been identified as: 

M. S. Manjunath (31), son of Shivlingappa, hailing from Upparigenahalli, Chitradurga district.

Shivakumar (30) from Shivamogga district.

Satyavelu (30) from JP Nagar, Bengaluru.

The sole survivor, Parameshwara (30), from Hangarga, Bidar district, now carries the weight of a harrowing ordeal and the devastating loss of his three closest friends.

These young men, all students of AMC Engineering College in Bengaluru, had embarked on a trip meant to create memories of joy and camaraderie. Driving overnight from Bengaluru, they reached Mangaluru on Wednesday morning. After breakfast at a local eatery, the group decided to visit the picturesque Kulai Jetty, seeking solace and adventure in the sea.

But their joyful outing took a tragic turn. While playing in the water, the four were caught in strong currents. Despite the swift intervention of local fishermen, only Parameshwara could be rescued in time. The lifeless bodies of Manjunath, Shivakumar, and Satyavelu were later found on the right side of the jetty, their dreams and futures cruelly cut short.

The Surathkal police, alerted to the incident, promptly arrived at the scene and began their investigation. The bodies were transported to AJ Hospital for post-mortem examinations, leaving their families and friends to grapple with the enormity of their loss.

A case has been registered at Surathkal Police Station. This incident serves as a stark reminder of the unpredictable and dangerous nature of the sea, urging visitors to prioritize safety above all else.

What was meant to be a day of joy has left a void that can never be filled, as three grieving families now face the unbearable pain of losing their loved ones.

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News Network
January 18,2025

Sullia, Jan 18: In a shocking incident, a man shot his wife dead during a fit of rage over a minor argument and later took his own life by consuming poison. The heartbreaking event unfolded late Friday night in Kodimajalu in Sullia taluk of Dakshina Kannada.

The accused, identified as Ramachandra Gowda alias Chandra (53), used his licensed firearm to commit the crime. His wife, Vinoda (43), tragically lost her life in the incident.

On the fateful night, Ramachandra reportedly started an argument with his family after dinner over a trivial matter. The heated exchange escalated, and in a fit of uncontrollable anger, he allegedly aimed his firearm at his elder son, Prashanth. Vinoda intervened to prevent the attack, attempting to wrest the gun from Ramachandra.

However, enraged by her intervention, Ramachandra turned the gun on Vinoda and shot her, leaving her dead on the spot. Overwhelmed by the gravity of his actions, he consumed acid, commonly used for rubber processing, to end his own life.

Based on Prashanth’s statement, a case has been registered at the Sullia police station. The tragic sequence of events has left the village in shock and mourning, raising concerns about the unchecked escalation of domestic disputes.

This devastating incident underscores the importance of addressing domestic tensions before they spiral into irreversible tragedies.

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