What is a space probe?

A space probe is a robotic spacecraft that travels outside the earth’s orbit . They are designed to operate on their own and are used to get close-up images and other information back to earth in the form of radio waves for scientists to analyze. Space probes carry special cameras and scientific instruments to study the atmosphere and composition of other planets, moons and celestial bodies. It might orbit the planet or land , it might make a one way journey , or might bring samples and data back to earth.

By the definition itself, it says space probes have ability of orbiting planets, moons and celestial bodies but why is whole world behind mars all the time? investing crores on to a planet which is nearly 99 million km away from the earth. You need to know humans don’t do anything without their profit. So lets understand why go to mars?

• In search of life  understanding whether life existed elsewhere in the universe beyond earth is a fundamental question of humankind. Mars is an excellent place to investigate this question because it is the most similar planet to earth in the solar system. There are more scientific reasons summarised by the search for life, understanding the surface and the planet’s evolution and preparing for future human exploration.

Exploration of mars and eventual human travel to it are nothing new. While manned missions have remained financial and logistical near impossibilities till now, but unmanned missions began in 1960. There have been 56 mars missions so far, of which 26 have been successful – a testament to the difficulty in reaching the red planet.

List of missions to mars

Many countries have made attempts and even become successful in sending their space probes to mars. The countries are USA, Russia, Japan, China, India,UAE and collectively by European union and Soviet union.  A listing of spacecraft missions relating to the planet mars such as orbiters and rovers are as follows .

First spacecraft to mars attempt – 1M No.1

Launch date- 10 October 1960    operator-  OKB-1, soviet union;     but it was a launch failure and failed to orbit.

First successful spacecraft to mars – Mariner 4

Launch date – 5 November 1964   operator- NASA , United states of america;      was a flyby mission.

First successful lander to mars  – Viking 1

Launch date- 20 August 1975      operator- NASA, United states of america

First successful rover to mars – Sojourner

Launch date – 4 December 1996    operator- NASA, United states of america

India’s first successful mars mission – Mars orbiter mission (Mangalyaan)

Launch date – 5 November 2013     operator – ISRO , India     carrier rocket- PSLV-XL

Some of the recent important space probes to mars are 

Spacecraft- InSight    Launch date – 5 may 2018     operator- NASA, United states of america    This still operational which is designed to study deeper interior of the planet mars.

Spacecraft- MarCO     Launch date – 5 may 2018     operator- NASA, United states of america    was flyby support to InSight.

En-route space probes to mars are

Spacecraft- Emirates mars mission(Hope)    Launch date – 19 July 2020    operator-MBRSC, UAE

Spacecraft- Tainwen-1 orbiter, lander/rover     Launch date – 23 July 2020   operator- CNSA, China

It doesn’t end here. Many more missions are planned for 2022 and 2024 launch windows and there are proposals to put humans on mars by the 2030’s. SpaceX founder Elon Musk says travel to mars is within reach, with the possibility of having 1 million people living on Mars within 100 years.

“The science of today is the technology of tomorrow”- edward teller

lets wait and hope for more successful mars missions.

References – wikipedia, digital trends , youtube

-Jayanth k