By Michael Chingarande
India launches its first inter –planetary mission to Mars as it hopes to become the only country in Asia to reach the planet.
A rocket carrying a 1.35-tonne unmanned probe vehicle has left off from the country’s east-coast island of Shriharikota where it will begin a 300-day, 780-million-km journey to study the Martian atmosphere.
“The biggest challenge will be precisely navigating the spacecraft to Mars,” K Radhakrishnan, chairman of the Indian Space and Research Organisation (ISRO), says.
The mission is India’s first inter-planetary journey that requires developing technology to allow a probe to run autonomously.
“The countdown is progressing well, as scheduled,” Deviprasad Karnik, ISRO spokesman, said.
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"The weather is normal. Slightly cloudy but no problem."
In the meantime, the US space agency will help India with its communications, while two ships stationed in the Pacific Ocean will assist with monitoring.
If all goes well and the satellite orbits the Red Planet, India’s space agency will become the fourth in the world after those of the United States, Russia and Europe to undertake a successful Mars mission.
The rocket carrying unmanned probe will go on a 780 million km journey to study the Martian atmosphere.
More than half of all attempted missions to Mars have failed, including a Chinese attempt in 2011 and Japan’s in 2003.
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