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This news-report writes to say

India’s bid to explore Mars will be a scaled down affair with the space agency flying experimental payload of less than 15 kg as against 25kg planned originally

  • Was the Mars mission really scaled down?
    • Why?
  • What instruments in the original payload did not make it to the scaled down mission?
TildalWave
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Everyone
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1 Answers1

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Originally, MOM was going to use the GSLV to launch. The GSLV has about 50% more capacity than the PSLV. As a result, a few things had to be cut back from the mission, including the payload, removal of a direct to Mars orbit, among others.

PearsonArtPhoto
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  • This answers most of the question, but is a bit lacking in the second category - which instruments didn't make it? –  Nov 05 '13 at 18:42
  • +1 for the note on capacity change because of the vehicle. Ditto to @Undo's remark on payload content though )+: – Everyone Nov 05 '13 at 19:29
  • I just can't find any information on it. Sigh. Maybe later... – PearsonArtPhoto Nov 05 '13 at 19:50
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    @PearsonArtPhoto I don't think you'll find it because the 2006 proposed GSLV mission was planned to have ~ 25 kg scientific payload on a ~ 500 kg orbiter but the scientific instruments were not yet selected, so it would merely be a list of all kinds of possible ones, some talked of perhaps 11-12 of them. The PSLV MOM mission with an under 15 kg scientific payload was approved and funded much later in 2012 after GSLV dual failures of its cryo upper stage in 2010. – TildalWave Nov 05 '13 at 22:55