India’s space program is looking to the red planet and has launched its first mission to Mars today. India has sent its spacecraft into orbit around the earth before it makes maneuvers towards Mars, making India just the fourth nation to send technology there.
The rocket with the Mars orbiter launched from the island of Sriharikota, where thousands of spectators gathered to watch the “textbook launch,” as officials called it, notes The Associated Press. If it does reach Mars as planned, India will join the Soviet Union, the U.S. and Europe as the only nations to send spacecraft to Mars.
The orbiter separated from the rocket 44 minutes later and began orbiting earth. In around 20 to 25 days, the orbiter will make several maneuvers to begin the 485 million mile-trip. According to The Hindu, it is expected to reach Mars on September 24, 2014.
“I am extremely happy to announce PSLV-C25 placed Mars orbiter space craft very precisely in elliptical orbit around earth,” K. Radhakrishnan, the chairman of the Indian Space Research Organization, said about the launch of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle. “This is 25th PSLV flight. Now it will be a complex mission to take the Mars orbiter from earth’s orbit to Mars orbit. I salute the ISRO team.”
The mission to Mars was only announced by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh last year. The ISRO sent its first satellite in 2008 and began its feasibility study into the Mars mission in 2010.
Raghu Kalra of the Amateur Astronomers Association Delhi told the AP that the Mars mission is very important for the country. “Even a poor person, when he learns that my country is sending a mission to another planet, he will feel a sense of pride for his country, and he will want to make it a better place,” he said.
image: Wikimedia Commons
