India's mission to Mars crosses half-way mark


BANGALORE, India, April 09, 2014 (AFP) - India's first mission to Mars successfully crossed the half-way mark on Wednesday, four months after leaving on an voyage to the Red Planet scheduled to take 11 months, the space agency said.

"The spacecraft crossed the half-way mark Wednesday at 9:50am on its journey to Mars," the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said in a statement from the southern city of Bangalore.

"The spacecraft and its five scientific instruments are in good health."

The gold-coloured probe, the size of a small car, will aim to detect methane in the Martian atmosphere, which could provide evidence of some sort of life form on the fourth planet from the Sun.

The country has never before attempted inter-planetary travel, and more than half of all missions to Mars have ended in failure, including China's in 2011 and Japan's in 2003.

The low-cost Mars Orbiter Mission, known as "Mangalyaan" in India, was revealed in August 2012 by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, shortly after China's attempt flopped.

The timing and place of the announcement - in an Independence Day speech - led to speculation that India was seeking to make a point to its militarily and economically superior neighbour, despite denials from ISRO.

NASA has also launched a spacecraft to Mars, on a mission to study how the air on the planet has changed over time, and is also expected to reach its destination in September.

India's mission cost 4.5 billion rupees ($75 million), a fraction of the cost of the US unmanned MAVEN spacecraft at $671 million.

Get 30% off with our ads free Premium Plan!

Monthly Plan

RM13.90/month
RM9.73 only

Billed as RM9.73 for the 1st month then RM13.90 thereafters.

Annual Plan

RM12.33/month
RM8.63/month

Billed as RM103.60 for the 1st year then RM148 thereafters.

1 month

Free Trial

For new subscribers only


Cancel anytime. No ads. Auto-renewal. Unlimited access to the web and app. Personalised features. Members rewards.
Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!

India , Mars , Red Planet , space ,

   

Next In Regional

Acting legend Tony Leung, Nvidia chief Huang get honorary doctorates from HK uni
India reports 'good progress' in Asean-India trade pact review talks
KL in 50th spot as London crowned world's best city for 10th consecutive year
Malaysia commends Laos for successful Asean 2024 chairmanship
Supply chain snags: Airlines in Malaysia, Thailand among those affected as travel demand rebounds
41 passengers injured as Hong Kong ferry bumps into pier on Central’s waterfront
DPM Zahid emphasises shared goals in meeting with Philippines President Marcos
Malaysia’s strategies as Asean chair in 2025 focus on regional value chains, says Anwar
Asean Foreign Ministers' meeting kicks off in Laos ahead of 44th and 45th Asean Summits
Asean must remain neutral to boost regional investment, says Tengku Zafrul

Others Also Read