On September 24, the insertion exercise will begin at at 4:17 AM.
Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) will switch over to the medium gain antenna. At 6:56 AM.
21 minutes prior to the start of the maneuver there spacecraft will rotate forward to point its engine.
The nail-biting moment will be at 7:17 AM. The burn of the liquid apogee motor has to start and reduce the spacecraft's speed relative to Mars from 22.3 to 4.2 kilometers per second. It has to awaken after "sleeping" for 300 days.
What is making the scientists nervous is that the burn will begin on the other side of the Red Planet and telemetry will stop at 7:22 AM.
They will receive confirmation that it has "woken up" only at 7:30 AM. If the signal is positive it will be a moment for celebration.
The engine will stop burning at 7:41 AM and communication with the spacecraft will be re-established at 7:47 AM.
This is called Plan A and if it is successful, it will be declared at about 8:15 a.m.
The engine will fire again for about 24 minutes, imparting a deceleration force of 1098.7 metres per second to enable the spacecraft to slip into an orbit with a nearest distance of 423 km to the Red Planet and a farthest distance of 80,000 km. The manoeuvre will consume 249.5 kg of the 280 kg fuel on board the spacecraft.
ISRO's Rs 450 crore Mars mission, launched on November 5, 2013 on board the PSLV-C25 rocket, is one of the cheapest voyages undertaken by any space faring nation. If successful, it will put ISRO among a league of three other agencies that have achieved success on missions to Mars.
The spacecraft is scheduled to enter the orbit of Mars exactly 48 hours after NASA's 16th successful Mars mission with its Maven spacecraft on Monday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will be in Bangalore on Wednesday, is scheduled to visit ISRO's mission operation centre in Peenya to congratulate scientists if the mission goes according to plan.
Pre-Launch Updates
November 5, 2013
PSLV-C25, in its twenty fifth flight successfully launches Mars Orbiter Mission Spacecraft from SDSC SHAR.
PSLV-C25 lifted off at 14:38 hrs.
Automatic sequencing of launch initiated.
Launch authorised by Mission Director for GO at 14:24 hrs.
Mobile Service Tower (MST) withdrawal to final parking (150m) completed. Countdown is normal.
All vehicle systems are switched ON for the final eight and half hour countdown starting at 6:08 hrs (IST).
Second Stage (PS2) Propellant filling operations completed.
November 4, 2013
Second Stage (PS2) Propellant filling commenced.
Mobile Service Tower (MST) withdrawal upto 50m is completed.
Mandatory Checks and Preparations for Propellant filling operations of Second Stage (PS2) are in progress.
November 3, 2013
Propellant filling of PS4 stage and RCT completed.
Mixed Oxides of Nitrogen (MON) filling of PS4 completed at 17:00 hrs (IST).
Mixed Oxides of Nitrogen (MON) filling of PS4 under progress.
Mono Methyl Hydrazine (MMH) filling of Reaction Control Thrusters (RCT) completed.
Mono Methyl Hydrazine (MMH) filling completed.
Propellant filling operations of Fourth Stage (PS4) are in progress.
The 56 hr 30 min countdown of Mission commenced at 06:08 hrs (IST).
November 2, 2013
All the pre-countdown activities have been completed satisfactorily and the 56 and half hour countdown of Mission will commence November 3, 2013 at 06:08 hrs (IST).
Pre-count down activities of Mission commenced at 08:45 hrs.
Nov 01, 2013
Launch Authorisation Board has approved & cleared the PSLV-C25/Mars Orbiter Mission launch on Nov 05, 2013 at 14:38 hrs (IST)
56 and half hr countdown for launch will begin on Nov 03, 2013 at 06:08 hrs (IST)
Oct 31, 2013
Launch Rehearsal of PSLV-C25/Mars Orbiter Mission has been completed successfully in the afternoon on Oct 31, 2013.
Launch Rehearsal of PSLV-C25/Mars Orbiter Mission commenced at 06:08 hrs (IST) on Oct 31, 2013 at First Launch Pad, SDSC SHAR.
Vehicle systems powered and health is normal.
Oct 30, 2013
Spacecraft & Launch Vehicle integrated level checks completed.
Preparations for Launch Rehearsal are under progress.
Oct 22, 2013
Spacecraft Integration with the Launcher PSLV-C25 Completed.
Heat Shield Closure Activity is completed.
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