India Mars Orbiter Mission Mangalyaan takes off from Sriharikota

PSLV-C25/Mars Orbiter Mission took off successfully for a historic mission to the Red Planet from Sriharikota on Tuesday at 2.38 pm.

With a huge roar and plumes of smoke and fire, India’s first attempt at inter-planetary flight — the Mars Orbiter Mission — blasted off to space at 2.38 pm from the spaceport here on board the workhorse PSLV-C25. With clear skies, it was a perfect textbook launch.

Simultaneously, computer screens crackled to life with numbers cascading down and hotlines buzzed as scientists at the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) kept a close tab on the launch. ISRO chairman Dr K. Radhakrishnan and senior space scientists spent anxious moments at the launchpad control room.

Among those who witnessed the launch was V Narayansamy, Minister in Prime Minister's Office.

After 112.75 seconds into the launch and at an altitude of 57.67 km, the first stage of the rocket will get separated. And at 112.95 seconds, the second stage will be ignited, giving the Orbiter a new thrust.

At 201.75 seconds, and at an altitude of 113.169 km, the crucial heat shield will get separated and this would be followed by second stage separation at 264.74 seconds after launch and at an altitude of 132.311 km. The third state ignition will take place seconds later at 265.94 seconds and the third stage separation will come at 583.60 seconds at an altitude of 194.86 km.

Thereafter, the fourth stage ignition is scheduled at 2100 seconds at an altitude of 271.317 km into space.

The fourth stage will be shut off at 2619.72 seconds at an altitude of 342.515 km. In another crucial move, the Mars Orbiter will get separated at an altitude of 383.388 km -- 2656.72 seconds after launch. From there on, it will be a lonely voyage of the Orbiter which will be closely monitored by an array of high-powered antennas and a big team of scientists on land and sea.

The 44.4-metre PSLV, on its silver jubilee flight, will place the 1,337-kg Mars Orbiter in a highly elliptical orbit that will be 250 km at its closest point to the earth, and 23,500 km when farthest.

After flying past the earth half a dozen times and gathering speed in what is called sling-shot effect, the Orbiter will set off to Mars by December, and reach the red planet in September 2014.

If the mission succeeds, it will be one of the least expensive Martian missions in the world, at a total cost of Rs 450 crore.

On Monday, Indian Space Research Organisation scientists performed mandatory checks and fuelled up the second stage of the rocket.

Earlier, Dr Radhakrishnan offered worship at the Sri Changala Parameswari temple in Sullurpeta and at the Venkateswara temple at Tirumala. Over the years, it has become a convention for the ISRO chief to worship at the temples ahead of any launch.