Google doodle celebrates one month of India’s Mars mission

Google on Friday celebrated one month of India’s Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM), the Mangalyaan, by putting up a special doodle on its home page for India.

The recently launched Mangalyaan by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has completed one month in the Martian Orbit.

In its very first attempt, India’s Mars Orbiter Mission traversed over 650 million km through deep space for over nine months to successfully reach the planet’s orbit.

Launched Nov 5, 2013, from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh with the powerful Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), India’s first inter—planetary mission entered the Martian orbit Sep 24.

The 475—kg (dry mass) Orbiter will study the Red Planet’s surface and mineral composition and scan its atmosphere for methane gas in search of life—sustaining elements.

India became the first Asian country to have entered the Martian orbit, as a similar mission by China failed in 2011.