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| India's first Mars satellite 'Mangalyaan' enters orbit | India's first Mars satellite 'Mangalyaan' enters orbit |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| India has successfully put a satellite into orbit around Mars, becoming the fourth nation or geo-bloc to do so. | India has successfully put a satellite into orbit around Mars, becoming the fourth nation or geo-bloc to do so. |
| The Mangalyaan robotic probe, one of the cheapest interplanetary missions ever, will soon begin work studying the Red Planet's atmosphere. | 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's gravity. | |
| Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the country had achieved the "near impossible". | Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the country had achieved the "near impossible". |
| Only the US, Russia and Europe have previously sent missions to Mars, and India has succeeded on its first attempt - an achievement that eluded even the Americans and the Soviets. | Only the US, Russia and Europe have previously sent missions to Mars, and India has succeeded on its first attempt - an achievement that eluded even the Americans and the Soviets. |
| The latest US satellite, Maven, arrived at Mars on Monday. | 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. | 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. |
| At the scene: Sanjoy Majumder, Bangalore | At the scene: Sanjoy Majumder, Bangalore |
| From early in the morning, there was an atmosphere of excitement and tension at the Indian space agency's mission tracking centre in Bangalore. | From early in the morning, there was an atmosphere of excitement and tension at the Indian space agency's mission tracking centre in Bangalore. |
| Scientists, many of them women and several of them young, were seated in front of their computer monitors tracking the progress of Mangalyaan. | Scientists, many of them women and several of them young, were seated in front of their computer monitors tracking the progress of Mangalyaan. |
| Giant screens above their heads fed a steady stream of data, graphics and sequence of operations. The first whoops broke out when Mangalyaan successfully fired up its liquid engine, the first in a series of critical moves to make sure that the spacecraft was able to get into the planet's gravitational pull. | Giant screens above their heads fed a steady stream of data, graphics and sequence of operations. The first whoops broke out when Mangalyaan successfully fired up its liquid engine, the first in a series of critical moves to make sure that the spacecraft was able to get into the planet's gravitational pull. |
| Then there was an agonising 20 minutes, when Mangalyaan disappeared behind Mars and beyond contact. | Then there was an agonising 20 minutes, when Mangalyaan disappeared behind Mars and beyond contact. |
| But there was no mistaking the moment, when the scientists all rose as one, cheered, clapped, hugged each other and exchanged high-fives - confirmation that Mangalyaan was now on an elliptical orbit around Mars. | But there was no mistaking the moment, when the scientists all rose as one, cheered, clapped, hugged each other and exchanged high-fives - confirmation that Mangalyaan was now on an elliptical orbit around Mars. |
| After PM Modi's congratulations, they poured out into the open and the bright sunlight, beaming as they took in the adulation. | After PM Modi's congratulations, they poured out into the open and the bright sunlight, beaming as they took in the adulation. |
| "Thrilled to be a part of history," one young scientist told me. "It's like hitting a golf ball from Bangalore to London and getting it into the hole in one go," deputy operations director, BN Ramkrishna said. "It's got to be that precise." | "Thrilled to be a part of history," one young scientist told me. "It's like hitting a golf ball from Bangalore to London and getting it into the hole in one go," deputy operations director, BN Ramkrishna said. "It's got to be that precise." |
| 'Better than cricket' | 'Better than cricket' |
| Mr Modi congratulated the scientists and said: "Today, all of India should celebrate our scientists. Schools, colleges should applaud this." | 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 added. | "If our cricket team wins a tournament, the nation celebrates. Our scientists' achievement is greater," he added. |
| 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. Nasa's recent Maven mission cost $671m. | 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. Nasa's recent Maven mission cost $671m. |
| 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. |
| The satellite joins four other missions that are circling the planet: Maven (US), Mars Odyssey (US), Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (US) and Mars Express (Europe). | The satellite joins four other missions that are circling the planet: Maven (US), Mars Odyssey (US), Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (US) and Mars Express (Europe). |