ISRO’s Mars Orbiter or Mission (MoM) on Monday successfully completed the fourth trajectory correction manoeuvre and test fire of the main liquid engine on the spacecraft.
“Main Liquid Engine test firing on Mars orbiter spacecraft successful: We had perfect burn for 4 seconds as programmed. The trajectory has been corrected. Mars Orbiter Mission will now go ahead with the normal plan for Mars Orbit Insertion,” said ISRO. “#MarsOrbiter Main Liquid Engine test firing successful!,”
This was one of the biggest tests of this complicated project. The test entailed switching on the engine that has been lying dormant for 10 months, and firing it for four seconds to slow down the spacecraft
Now, the ISRO will fire the engine for a longer duration two days later and ease the spacecraft into an orbit around Mars. The 440N liquid engine was last fired on December 1 to slingshot the spacecraft from an Earth orbit to the Martian trajectory. The spacecraft authorization committee earlier this month decided to carry out the four-second test to ensure that the long duration of idling hasn’t affected the engine that carries corrosive fuel.