India's Mars Orbiter Spacecraft Successfully Reaches the Red Planet

Mars is getting a bit more crowded. India's Mars Orbiter Spacecraft successfully entered an orbit around the Red Planet this morning, Sept. 24, 2014. Now, the orbiter will beam back data to scientists on Earth.

The spacecraft approached Mars early this morning. That's when it began its liquid engines firing operation. This lasted for just 1,388.67 seconds and changed the velocity of the spacecraft by 1099 m/sec. With the operation, the orbiter entered into an elliptical orbit around Mars, making it a first for India.

The Mars Orbiter Spacecraft was first launched onboard India's workhorse launch vehicle, PSLV, on Nov. 5, 2013. Then on Dec. 1, 2013, the spacecraft escaped Earth's orbit and began its journey to Mars.

Currently, India's Mars Orbiter Spacecraft is orbiting the Red Planet in an orbit whose nearest point is 421.7 km from the surface of the planet. In this orbit, the spacecraft takes only about 73 hours to orbit Mars.

What's more interesting is the fact that today's successful operation means that ISRO has become the fourth space agency to successfully send a spacecraft to Mars orbit. The latest maneuver highlights the popularity of the Red Planet and shows a continued interest in space operations.

Want to learn more about ISRO? You can find out about the mission here.