Zee Media Bureau/Salome Phelamei
Chennai: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Tuesday said that “Mangalyaan”, India`s first inter-planetary mission to Mars was on its course and the orbiter would reach the Martian orbit on September 24 as per schedule.
“The Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) is on course and as per the plan it would reach the orbit on September 24,” Chairman K Radhakrishnan told reporters at the airport here.
Indian Mars Orbiter Mission was launched into Earth`s orbit from Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh on board Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) on November 5 last year by the ISRO.
The Mars probe spent about a month in Earth`s orbit, where it made a series of seven altitude-raising orbital manoeuvres before trans-Mars injection on 30 November 2013.
ISRO said only 14 per cent of the journey remains in its heliocentric arc towards Mars Orbit Insertion.
If the mission is successful, India will become the fourth nation to reach Mars, after Russia, US and Europe.
