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India’s low-cost Mars orbiter Mission (MOM) has achieved another feat, Mangalyaan has become the first mission ever to capture the far side of Deimos, red planet’s moon, in its camera, said the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chief S Kiran Kumar.

While speaking at the University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA) Kumar said that there had been seven Mars mission by several countries in the past, but none of the mission captured a photograph of far side of the smaller moon out of the two moons of the Mars. He further added that India is going to launch its first ever dedicated astronomy satellite, Astrosat.

Several institutes are collaborating with ISRO in the mission. ” Institutes like the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, IUCAA, University of Leicester, and Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad, are working on the project and are designing payload,” Kumar said.

ISRO chief revealed some information about Astrosat mission, he said that IUCAA is designing Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UIT)which will operate on three wavelengths. With the help of different wavelengths, UIT will better analyse the photosphere and chromosphere of the sun. Also. the Astrosat will boast LAXPC instrument that has world’s largest effective area will study X-ray timings.

Astrosat will be launched using PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle) from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota next month. The astronomy satellite which was made at Bangalore has been sent to the launch centre for the next month launch.

Moreover, ISRO’s reputation is growing worldwide in the field of space exploration after the success of marvellous Mangalyan and Chandryaan. ISRO bagged prestigious Space Pioneer Award 2015 for Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM). Several space agencies including American space agency NASA are willing to collaborate with ISRO for space mission. Recently, ISRO launched five British satellite which also their heaviest payload mission ever.