Mars Orbiter Mission successfully passes lethal radiation belts

Lethal radiation belts in the earth's inner magnestosphere are no cause for concern for Isro scientists as the Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) has sufficient safeguards.

Isro scientists explained that the two doughnut shaped blankets that shroud the earth with highly charged plasma particles comprising of electrons, protons and nuclei are called Van Allen Radiation belts.

"MOM has successfully sustained several passes of these lethal radiation belts speculated to have been formed by furious solar winds and harmful cosmic rays," Isro scientists said. These belts are a part of earth's inner magnetosphere and stretch from an altitude of 1000 km to 60,000 km above the earth.

"Prolonged exposure to these belts poses a significant threat to various sensitive components of a spacecraft. MOM spacecraft is designed with sufficient safeguards against such fatal particles," Isro said.

From Times of India