India blasts off in race to Mars with low-cost space mission

Sruthi Gottipati

Reuters - Nov. 5, 2013

NEW DELHI — India launched its first rocket to Mars on Tuesday, aiming to reach the Red Planet at a much lower cost than successful missions by other nations.
The Mars Orbiter Mission, also known as Mangalyaan, mission positions the emerging Asian giant as a budget player in the latest global space race.
India's red-and-white-striped PSLV rocket blasted off from the southeastern coast, streaking across the sky in a blazing trail. The orbiter is scheduled to reach Mars by next September.
Probes to Mars have a high failure rate, and a success would be a boost for Indian national pride, especially after a similar mission mounted by Russia and China failed to leave Earth's orbit in 2011.
Only the United States, Europe and Russia have sent probes that have orbited or landed on the planet.
"The ISRO team will fulfill the expectations that the nation has in them," K. Radhakrishnan, head of the state-run Indian Space Research Organization, said after the spacecraft was successfully placed into orbit around Earth. "The journey has only begun. The challenging phase is coming."

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