This story is from October 24, 2014

Mars orbiter dodges comet, 'safe and sound in orbit'

Comet Siding Spring had travelled many millions of miles and came within 87,000 miles of Mars, which is about a third of Earth-Moon distance.
Mars orbiter dodges comet, 'safe and sound in orbit'
MUMBAI: Here is another feather in the cap for India’s newest brand ambassador, the Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM).
READ ALSO: Google doodle celebrates Mangalyaan's one month in Mars orbit
Despite it being closest to Comet Siding Spring compared to other spacecrafts early on Monday, it has escaped unscathed when the comet made a nearly 90-minute flyby of the Red Planet, according Kiran Kumar, director of Isro’s Ahmedabad-based Space Application Centre.
READ ALSO: India becomes first nation to have successful Mars mission in maiden attempt
After the flyby MOM tweeted: "Phew! Experience of a lifetime.
Watched the #MarsComet # SidingSpring Whizzing past the planet. I’m in my orbit, safe and sound,’’
According to a space-related website unmannedspaceflight.com at the time of the comet’s closest approach to the comet which was at midnight (IST) the distance between MOM and the comet was 88,222 kms,

The website said that the distance between the other orbiters were as follows:

Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (Nasa)—135, 750 kms.
Mars Express (European Space Agency)—1,36,890 kms.
Mars Odyssey (Nasa)—1,41, 140 kms.
Maven (Mars Atmosphere And Volatile Evolution Mission—Nasa)—1,43,290 kms.
Kumar, said MOM will now be operating in a 400 X 72,000 orbit which he said was good.
MOM scientists and their counterparts attached to Nasa’s Mars Atmosphere And Volatile Evolution Mission (MAVEN) will collaborate in analyzing data generated by the comet.
READ ALSO: Mangalyaan is world's cheapest Mars mission
Siding Spring had travelled many millions of miles and came within 87,000 miles of Mars, which is about a third of Earth-Moon distance. It came from the Oort Cloud, a material left over from the formation of the Solar System.
Discovered on January 3, 2013 by Robert H.McNaught in Australia, its arrival threw challenges to space scientists as they were apprehensive whether the comet’s dust particles, flying at a velocity of 56 kms per second, would damage the orbiters.
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