Indian spacecraft begins Mars journey

Spacecraft was successfully flung into outer space, embarks on 10-month journey towards Mars that takes it around sun.

BANGALORE: India’s first mission to Mars left Earth’s orbit Sunday, successfully entering the second phase of its journey that could see the country win Asia’s race to the Red Planet, scientists said.

The spacecraft was successfully flung into outer space and now embarks on a 10-month journey towards Mars that takes it around the sun, with arrival scheduled for next September.

“Everything went off well. We took stock of the Mangalyaan’s health and  everything is normal,” Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman K Radhakrishnan said in a tweet, using the Indian name for the Mars Orbiter Mission.

ISRO said in a statement the spacecraft was on course to encounter Mars after a 10-month journey around the sun.

“While Mangalyaan takes 1.2 billion dreams to Mars, we wish you sweet dreams!” the orbiter mission said in a tweet.

Mangalyaan could still face hurdles before reaching Mars. More than half of all missions to the planet have ended in failure, including China’s in 2011 and Japan’s in 2003.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 2^nd, 2013.