Creating history, ISRO's Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) on Wednesday successfully entered the orbit of the red planet. With this, India has become the first nation in the world to have entered the Mars orbit in the first attempt. ISRO's MOM is also the cheapest such mission till now. European, US and Russian probes have managed to orbit or land on the planet, but after several attempts. At 7.17 AM, the 440 Newton Liquid Apogee Motor (LAM) sizzled with life as it burnt along with the thrusters to slow down the MOM spacecraft to be captured by the Red Planet. Prime Minister Narendra Modi witnessed the historic moment from ISRO's centre. "MOM has met Mangal," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said announcing the mission's success, after nerve-wracking final moments at the command centre of Indian Space Research Organisation.
MOM aims to study the Martian surface and mineral composition and scan its atmosphere for methane, an indicator of life. The spacecraft is equipped with five instruments, including a sensor to track methane or marsh gas, a colour camera and a thermal-imaging spectrometer to map the surface and mineral wealth of the red planet. The Rs 450-crore MOM is the cheapest inter-planetary mission. India is the first country to reach Mars in the very first attempt. European, American and Russian probes have managed to orbit or land on the planet, but after several attempts.
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