Mangalyaan mission to enter 15-day blackout phase today

Starting Sunday, the country’s low-cost Mars mission that is in a rendezvous with the red planet for an extended period will enter the “blackout” phase snapping communication with the satellite. From June 8 to 22, the sun will block Mars from the Earth, snapping communication with the satellite.

MOM during this period will go into an “autonomous mode” and will take its decisions, a senior Indian Space Research Organisation official said. “This will be for the first time that there will be a communication break for such a long period of 15 days. During this period, there will not be any communication with the satellite,” he said. 

Expressing confidence about regaining control over the satellite once the blackout phase is over, he said: “The scenario has been tested for earlier; <g data-gr-id="19">line</g> of communication will be established.” The spacecraft’s life was extended for another six months in March due to surplus fuel. Stating that the spacecraft has been “configured” for the blackout, the ISRO official said, “we are not sending any commands to the spacecraft now, till 8th (June) few hours of signals will be sent by the <g data-gr-id="15">spacecraft-that</g> will be for about two to three hours per day.”