India ends Mars mission as spacecraft runs out of fuel after eight years

Space agency says Mangalyaan orbiter, which had been expected to function for only six months, is now ‘non-recoverable’

An image of Mars captured by the Mars Orbiter Mission, built by the Indian Space Research Organisation. The space agency lost contact with the spacecraft in April 2022 and officials announced 'end of life' of the mission on October 3 2022. Photo: Isro / AFP

The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C25) rocket lifts off carrying India’s Mars spacecraft from the east coast island of Sriharikota, India, in 2013. Photo: AP

The 1,350-kilogramme 'Mangalyaan' orbiter entered the orbit of Mars in 2014 and was operational for eight years. Photo: AP

Indian Space Research Organisation Chairman K. Radhakrishnan addresses the media about the Mars orbiter mission at the Satish Dhawan Space Center at Sriharikota, India, on October 30, 2013. Photo: AP

Paramilitary soldiers stand guard at the control station of the Satish Dhawan Space Center at Sriharikota, in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh in 2013. Photo: AP

A technician monitors the functions of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C25) at the Satish Dhawan Space Center at Sriharikota, in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh in 2013. Photo: AP

A paramilitary soldier walks past the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C25) at the Satish Dhawan Space Center at Sriharikota, in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh in 2013. Photo: AP

Indians watch the live telecast of the launch of Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C25) rocket carrying India’s Mars spacecraft from the east-coast island of Sriharikota, in New Delhi, India, in 2013. Photo: AP

Indians watch the live telecast of the launch of Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C25) rocket carrying India’s Mars spacecraft from the east-coast island of Sriharikota, in New Delhi, India, in 2013. Photo: AP

A rocket carrying the Mars orbiter streaks across the sky after taking off from the east-coast island of Sriharikota, India, on November 5, 2013. Photo: AP

The Indian space agency has announced that its Mars mission has ended, after it lost contact with its spacecraft in April.

Officials at the Indian Space Research Organisation believe its Mars Orbiter Mission spacecraft — known as Mangalyaan — ran out of fuel.

Isro said it lost contact due to a long eclipse. This made it impossible for mission control to reposition Mangalyaan so it could be recharged through its solar panels.

Mangalyaan entered the orbit of Mars in 2014 and was expected to have a six-month lifespan. However, it was operational for eight years.

“Isro deliberated that the propellant must have been exhausted, and therefore, the desired attitude pointing could not be achieved for sustained power generation,” the space agency said on Monday.

“It was declared that the spacecraft is non-recoverable and attained its end of life.”

At $74 million, Mangalyaan is the least expensive mission to Mars. In comparison, Nasa spent $2.7 billion on its Perseverance rover, which landed on the Red Planet last year.

The UAE spent $200m to develop and launch its Hope spacecraft mission to Mars. Hope has been orbiting the planet since February last year.

Isro said that the Mangalyaan mission made many contributions to the science community.

Over the years, it studied the planet’s dust storms, its atmosphere and ice caps.

More than 7,200 users registered to download data from the spacecraft.

“Despite being designed for a lifespan of six months as a technology demonstrator, the Mars Orbiter Mission has lived for about eight years in the Martian orbit with a gamut of significant scientific results on Mars as well as on the Solar corona, before losing communication with the ground station, as a result of a long eclipse in April 2022,” the agency said.

India has spent billions on its space programme over the years and has plans to launch astronauts on a domestically built rocket.

Isro has also carried out lunar missions and reached the Moon with its Chandrayaan-1 mission in 2008. The orbiter captured data for a year and gleaned vital information on water molecules on the lunar surface.

However, the country’s attempt to soft land on the Moon with its Chandrayaan-2 mission failed in 2019, when the Vikram lander crash-landed.

It has plans to launch its third mission to the Moon ― Chandrayaan-3.

India also plans to launch its Shukrayaan-1 orbiter to Venus later this decade.

The four-year mission will orbit the hottest planet in the Solar System, collecting data on its mysterious atmosphere.