India successfully launched a probe to orbit Mars – BBC Russian

• September 24, 2014

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Indian Expedition to Mars probe has cost just $ 74 million

India brought the spacecraft to orbit Mars, becoming the fourth world power that has achieved such success.

In contrast to all other countries, India managed to do it at the first attempt.

As the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, his country had made “almost impossible”.

“Everything was not in our favor: of 51 such attempt made in worldwide, only 21 proved to be successful, and we won, “- said Modi, speaking in the Mission Control Center of the Indian Space Research Organization in Bangalore.

Previously, only the United States, the Soviet Union and the European Space Agency successfully launched their satellites the orbit of the Red Planet.

The most recent was to send the American space agency NASA science probe “Maeve”, which reached Mars orbit on Monday.

“The most important cricket “

On Wednesday, NASA congratulated his colleagues from the Indian Space Research Organization.

The Indian Prime Minister also congratulated the participants of the project, saying:” Today, the whole of India should be happy for our scientists – Schools and institutions need to stand up and applaud them. Because if our cricket team wins, the whole country is a holiday. But our scientists have achieved a lot more “.

Indian Prime Minister appreciated the contribution of scientists

Spacecraft “Mangalyaan”, also known as MOM (“Mission to Mars orbit”), was launched on November 5, 2013 Space Center, located on the island of Sriharikota in the Bay of Bengal.

General cost of the project amounted to $ 74 million, making it the cheapest of all ever undertaken interplanetary launches. comparison, the space probe “Maeve” cost NASA’s 671 million dollars.

Now Indian probe must orbit Mars researchers transmit pictures of the planet and to study its atmosphere. One of the objectives of this probe is to search for methane in the Martian atmosphere. presence of methane may be an indicator of biological activity on the surface of the ground or in his column.

In 1997, NASA sent to Mars four space probe. The most technically advanced of these was the six-wheeled rover “Kyuriositi” landing on the Red Planet in August 2012. In contrast, the Indian probe is lowered to the surface of the planet.

Indian Space Research Organization was the first to successfully send a probe to Mars, the first attempt