You did it, MOM: India jubilant as probe enters Mars orbit
Success of historic low-cost mission demonstrates nation's technical capabilities and is a launch pad for commercial and research satellites
India triumphed in its first interplanetary mission, placing a satellite into orbit around Mars yesterday and catapulting the country into an elite club of deep-space explorers.
In scenes broadcast live on Indian TV, scientists broke into wild cheers as the orbiter's engines completed 24 minutes of burn time to manoeuvre the spacecraft into its designated place around the red planet.
"We have gone beyond the boundaries of human enterprise and innovation," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a live broadcast from the Indian Space and Research Organisation's [ISRO] command centre in Bangalore. "We have navigated our craft through a route known to very few."
Scientists described the final stages of the Mars Orbiter Mission, affectionately nicknamed MOM, as flawless. The success marks a milestone for the space programme in demonstrating that it can conduct complex missions and act as a global launch pad for commercial, navigational and research satellites.
Reaching Mars is a major feat for the developing country of 1.2 billion people. At the same time, India has a robust scientific and technical educational system that has produced millions of software programmers, engineers and doctors.