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back to article Economical Indian MOM whips up her eggs en route to Mars

India's Space Research Organisation has announced things have gone egg-shaped for its Mangalyaan Mars probe, and that's a good thing. Mangalyaan, aka Mars Orbiter Mission or MOM, has been cobbled together for just $US74m and one consequence of that small budget is a penny-pinching plan to pinch some of Earth's energy by making …

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  1. M Gale

    Oberth Effect

    Or the faster you're going (at least up until relativity kicks in), the more efficient your rockets become. So, that egg shaped orbit means the craft can keep repeating some nicely efficient burns while in a very low, and very fast, part of its highly elliptical.. erm.. eggy, orbit. Using the Earth's momentum as a slingshot and escaping at the right angle also helps.

    Yes, I play Kerbal Space Program too.

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  2. Rob 5

    Stranger in a Strange Land.

    That is all. Aside from noting that the Iron Maiden song by that name was rather decent.

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  3. Neoc

    Valentine Michael Smith

    I grok this reference.

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    1. ChrisM
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      Re: Valentine Michael Smith

      As do I my water brother

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    2. Martin Budden Silver badge
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      Re: Valentine Michael Smith

      *says something about Scientology*

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  4. gautam

    Egg Shaped is not Pear Shaped !

    Well done India.

    Out of eggs comes chikcen, who will come home to roost on Mars amid a lot of squawking from disgruntled naysayers.

    Thats all folks.

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  5. schofiel

    I am only an egg...

    ...shaped orbit.

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  6. joeW

    US$74 Million

    That's actually not a lot, is it? Well done India, fingers crossed it all goes to plan.

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    1. hplasm
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      Re: US$74 Million

      Rather less Pork, in India. They prefer and revere, the beef.

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      1. Santa from Exeter
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        Re: US$74 Million

        Ah, but the Jubal soup tastes like long pork

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  7. mikemock

    The shocking truth behind India's Mars mission

    Mike's Daily Cartoon

    http://mikemock.wordpress.com/2013/11/07/the-truth-behind-indias-mars-rocket/

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  8. Gene Cash Silver badge

    It avoids one huge burn from an engine they haven't got. They need to get lots of science points from this mission obviously.

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  9. John Smith 19 Gold badge
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    Neat approach

    Leverages what hardware they have to deliver the mission.

    Lets hope the rest of the burns work as well.

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  10. Hooch181

    I for one...

    am optimistic. It would be nice to see what someone can do on a budget without the contractor bloat!

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  11. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Curry power

    Should be nicknamed the Curry Rocket that does home deliveries to Mars, cheaply !

    Well Done India.

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  12. Sureo

    What are they gonna do when they get there?

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