Narayanasetti Venkata Vighnesam
Visvesvaraya Technological University
India
Title: India’s first Moon and Mars missions orbit determination
Biography
Biography: Narayanasetti Venkata Vighnesam
Abstract
India’s first Moon mission (Chandrayaan-1) and Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) carrying several scientific instruments for the purpose of expanding scientific knowledge about the Moon and Mars were launched in October 2008 and November 2013 respectively. The spacecrafts were put into their target orbits by carrying out sequence of orbit maneuvers. Precise orbit determinations are carried out during each phase of the mission using tracking data from network of tracking stations configured for the mission. The determined orbital solutions are used for spacecraft navigation, mission planning, and science data processing. ISRO’s operational orbit determination program (ODP) used for low earth missions was suitably updated and validated before the launch of these missions. Orbit Determination methodology and the performance of Chandrayaan-1 and MOM orbit determination systems during initial phase of the mission along with achieved orbit determination accuracy in the early normal phase is presented.