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India's first Mars satellite 'Mangalyaan' enters orbit | |
(35 minutes later) | |
India has successfully put a satellite into orbit around Mars, becoming the fourth country to do so. | |
The Mangalyaan robotic probe, one of the cheapest interplanetary missions ever, will soon begin work studying the Red Planet's atmosphere. | |
A 24-minute engine burn slowed the probe down enough to allow it to be captured by Mars' gravity. | A 24-minute engine burn slowed the probe down enough to allow it to be captured by Mars' gravity. |
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the country had achieved the "near impossible". | |
Speaking at the mission control centre in the southern city of Bangalore he said: "The odds were stacked against us. Of 51 missions attempted in world only 21 have succeeded. We have prevailed." | |
Only the US, Europe and Russia have previously sent missions to Mars, but India is the first country to succeed on its first attempt. | |
The latest US satellite, Maven, arrived at Mars on Monday. | |
US space agency Nasa congratulated its Indian counterpart, the Indian Space and Research Organization (Isro), on Wednesday's success. | |
"We congratulate @ISRO for its Mars arrival! @MarsOrbiter joins the missions studying the Red Planet," the agency tweeted. | "We congratulate @ISRO for its Mars arrival! @MarsOrbiter joins the missions studying the Red Planet," the agency tweeted. |
There were some anxious moments at ground control as technicians waited for news Mangalyaan, says the BBC's Sanjoy Majumder in Bangalore. | |
Then cheers and applause broke out as the news came through that the probe had entered Mars's orbit. | |
Mr Modi congratulated the scientists and said: "Today all of India should celebrate our scientists. Schools, colleges should applaud this." | |
"If our cricket team wins a tournament, the nation celebrates. Our scientists' achievement is greater," he said. | |
The total cost of the Indian mission has been put at 4.5bn rupees ($74m; £45m), which makes it one of the cheapest interplanetary space missions ever. | The total cost of the Indian mission has been put at 4.5bn rupees ($74m; £45m), which makes it one of the cheapest interplanetary space missions ever. |
The Mangalyaan probe will now set about taking pictures of the planet and studying its atmosphere. | The Mangalyaan probe will now set about taking pictures of the planet and studying its atmosphere. |
One key goal is to try to detect methane in the Martian air, which could be an indicator of biological activity at, or more likely just below, the surface. | One key goal is to try to detect methane in the Martian air, which could be an indicator of biological activity at, or more likely just below, the surface. |
Mangalyaan - more formally referred to as Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) - was launched from the Sriharikota spaceport on the coast of the Bay of Bengal on 5 November 2013. | Mangalyaan - more formally referred to as Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) - was launched from the Sriharikota spaceport on the coast of the Bay of Bengal on 5 November 2013. |