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September 24th, 2014.

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A calm morning in Bengaluru

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belies the fact

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this is the moment of truth

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for one of India's
most daring missions.

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Its first interplanetary journey
to Mars.

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In the Mission Control Room,
Prime Minister Narendra Modi

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is intently watching
history unfold before his eyes.

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India's Space Research
Organisation's top bosses

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K. Radhakrishnan
and A. S. Kiran Kumar

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calmly monitor the progress
of the mission.

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For the automatic operation
of the Mars Orbiter Mission..

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Nobody believed
that India actually would be able

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to do this mission.

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Or, that it could soon become
the first country in the world

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to reach the elusive Red Planet

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in its very first attempt.

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But what makes
this nail-biting moment

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even more dramatic

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is the fact that during
the crucial period of insertion

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into the Martian orbit

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the spacecraft Mangalyaan
will move behind Mars

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out of line of sight with Earth

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cutting off all communication
with the mission team.

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The tension
in the Mission Control Room

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is palpable.

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300 days

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over 650 million kilometres

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and it all comes down to this.

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Will India's Mars orbiter,
or Mangalyaan

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successfully enter
the Martian orbit?

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Bengaluru, in southern India

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a hotbed for science
and innovation.

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India's Silicon Valley.

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It is also India's space city

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with many of India's
space centres located here.

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India's adventure to Mars
began in 2012

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when Indian space scientists
put forward

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an ambitious plan
to send an orbiter to Mars.

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This would be India's
first interplanetary journey.

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And if successful

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it would be the 4th space agency
in the world

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and the first Asian country
to reach Mars.

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I see a 21st Century
Asian space race

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happening between India and China
on many fronts.

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And India got an opportunity

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to go ahead of China

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at least in reaching Mars

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when in 2011,
the Chinese mission failed.

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So, there was a small window

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in which India could race ahead.

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So, in 2013,
India put their plan into action

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to send an orbiter to Mars.

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ISRO scientists chose the PSLV

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as a launch vehicle

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as it is one of India's
most reliable rockets.

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The PSLV-C25 stands at a height

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of a 15-storey building

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but even with this
magnificent size

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it was not powerful enough
to send Mangalyaan

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directly on a path to Mars.

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What they really needed
was a powerful rocket

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that would throw the spacecraft

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out of Earth's
sphere of influence

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and directly on a path
towards Mars.

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That more powerful rocket
was the GSLV.

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The only catch was, in India

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it was still under development
and being tested.

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But scientists couldn't afford
to delay this mission.

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V. Adimurthy,
who evaluated India's ability

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to journey to Mars, explains why.

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This is a model
of Earth, Mars and the Sun.

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And as you know

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the planets are moving
around the Sun

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in different speeds.

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And complex calculations
have shown

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that for us to go
from Earth to Mars

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a rendezvous date can be
24th September, 2014.

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And if we missed this date

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the next opportunity will come
26 months later.

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We decided that we plunge in
for this date

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and go for the rendezvous

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with Mars
on 24th September, 2014.

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This meant that

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Mangalyaan has to start
from Earth's Orbit

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on a precise date

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and go towards
its journey towards Mars

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and reach Mars Orbit

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on 24th September, 2014.

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Mars will be there
for the rendezvous at that time

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when Mangalyaan reaches there.

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If we start too early

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then Mangalyaan
will be ahead of Mars

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and if we start too late

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Mangalyaan will be behind Mars

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and both would be
failed fly-by missions.

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Mangalyaan had to be launched
within this crucial window.

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And so it was back to the PSLV

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and the ISRO scientists
who had to come up

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with an innovative flight plan.

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If we are able to have

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a novel mission design

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India could put a spacecraft

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with our own PSLV.

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And we decided
that this is going to be

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a technology mission
to prove India's capability

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to orbit a spacecraft
around Mars.

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The plan presented
was a daring one.

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Something that India
had never attempted before.

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They would build a Mars orbiter

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one of the fastest
and most intelligent spacecrafts

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India has ever made
and load it onto the PSLV.

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It would first be launched
into Earth's orbit.

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Then they would get it
to circle Earth

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and gradually increase
its velocity

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and raise its orbit levels
till it's fast enough

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to escape Earth's
sphere of influence.

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It would then be set
on a path towards Mars

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covering over
650 million kilometres

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in about 300 days.

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Mangalyaan will hurtle
through space

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at speeds over
20 kilometres per second.

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On Earth,
travelling at that speed

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would get you
from New Delhi to New York

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in about 9 minutes.

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That's how fast
Mangalyaan will travel

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towards Mars.

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It will then enter Mars orbit

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at a point about 500 kilometres
nearest to the surface

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of the Red Planet.

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Once green-lit,
the Mars Orbiter Mission

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had centres across India
working around the clock

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to pull off this challenging
interplanetary journey.

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ISRO centres in Bengaluru
designed, built

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and tested Mangalyaan.

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Ahmedabad engineered its camera
and scientific instruments.

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Sriharikota
would be its launch centre.

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The deep space antenna in Byalalu

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would track communication.

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And the Mission Control Room
back in Bengaluru

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would monitor and navigate it.

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Mangalyaan's dream team
had veteran space scientists

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who had worked on many
of India's satellite missions

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over three to four decades.

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K. Radhakrishnan, Chairman, ISRO
at the time of launch

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is the man at the helm
of India's mission to Mars.

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A. S. Kiran Kumar had to analyse

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hundreds of worst-case scenarios.

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His big concern
was how fuel would be used.

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M. Annadurai's experience

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heading India's
first Moon mission

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Chandrayaan-1,
would help in designing

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an economical Mars mission.

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S. Arunan's biggest challenge
was to build an intelligent craft

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that was autonomous

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or one that could
largely function on its own.

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The leading members of this team
had worked

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on the successful lunar mission,
Chandrayaan-1

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but this was their first
interplanetary mission.

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Their scientific prowess
would be tested at every turn.

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It is a one-way graduation
for what we do all along

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to Chandrayaan.

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And Chandrayaan to MOM,
I can tell it's postgraduation.

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It is like
everything's a step ahead

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but everything
that is learned previously

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is taken to Chandrayaan.

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Chandrayaan to Mars, very well
it has been taken there.

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The 1335 kilograms
Mars Orbiter Satellite

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into an elliptic orbit..

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At the launch centre,
it's action stations.

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Scientists have to monitor
every aspect of this lift-off

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and constantly track Mangalyaan's

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over 300-day space journey.

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They need information
at each stage

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and India
could not do this alone.

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One of the major requirements

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for ISTRAC is to provide
continuous Mars data

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for control support.

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So, we established 32 antennae

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ground station support

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spread throughout the world.

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During launch,
ground stations in Sriharikota

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Port Blair, Brunei and Indonesia

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will track the rocket
and will relay data

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to the mission team.

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But once the rocket is above
the South Pacific Ocean

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ground stations would not
be able to track it.

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The mission team couldn't afford
to be without communication.

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After much deliberation,
they came up with a solution.

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Two ships
loaded with powerful antennae

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would be stationed in the Pacific

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and would send information
of this part of the launch.

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But the team faced
its first setback.

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One of the ships couldn't reach
its location on time

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due to bad weather.

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The preparations for the launch

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they were delayed
due to the positioning

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of the shipborne terminals
at the desired locations.

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Due to weather problems,
it got delayed.

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This was not good news

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considering the short time window
the mission team

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had to launch Mangalyaan.

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Bad weather had managed to derail
the original launch plan

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and scientists were hit
with a problem

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even before lift-off.

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India's Mission to Mars team
was up against a challenge.

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One of the two ships
carrying powerful antennae

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needed for tracking
during the launch of Mangalyaan

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was not able to reach
its location

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due to bad weather.

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The mission team had to realign
all their calculations

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and come up
with a new launch date.

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Earlier, October end,
the launch was scheduled.

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But due to the arrangements

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required for the vehicle tracking

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with some shipborne terminals.

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So, all those arrangements
got delayed.

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And we could launch
on November 5th.

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Children in Sriharikota
are probably used to seeing

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rockets flash through the sky.

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But on this November afternoon

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the rocket about to lift off
will create history

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as it will launch India's first
interplanetary mission.

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Mangalyaan,
India's orbiter to Mars.

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Launch date.
The world is watching.

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Nobody believed that India
actually would be able

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to do this mission.

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So, even when we had announced
the date of launch, etc.

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Still there was a question mark.
Nobody was taking us seriously.

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Only when the actual
launch happened

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then they started looking at

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"Okay. That means
there is already"

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"a satellite
which has been integrated"

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"put together.
This is happening."

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Scientists are counting down
to blast off.

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10, 9, 8

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7, 6, 5

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4, 3, 2

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1, 0, +1, 2..

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Stations at Sriharikota, Port Blair

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Brunei and Indonesia

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send signals
confirming the success

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of the first three launch phases.

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The rocket then cruises
for 26 minutes

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over the South Pacific Ocean

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and none of the ground stations

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can get signals from it
for 10 minutes.

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This is followed
by the crucial 4th stage

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when Mangalyaan separates
from the launch vehicle

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and is thrown into orbit.

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Communication is crucial
at this stage.

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This is where the 2 ships
have a key role.

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The team is on edge
waiting for the signal

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that all is going as per plan.

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The first ship
monitors the ignition

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of the rocket engine.

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A few minutes later,
the second ship

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monitors craft separation.

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Mangalyaan is finally sent

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into an elliptical orbit
around Earth.

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Very, very accurate orbit
we have achieved.

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Jubilation breaks out
in the Command Centre.

263
00:15:34,880 --> 00:15:37,920
Given the media interest
in India's Mars mission

264
00:15:37,960 --> 00:15:41,560
the action in the Command Centre
is aired live on television

265
00:15:41,600 --> 00:15:43,360
and shared on social media

266
00:15:43,400 --> 00:15:46,000
with a massive audience
around the world.

267
00:15:51,000 --> 00:15:53,360
We were very clear,
this is a complex mission.

268
00:15:53,400 --> 00:15:56,200
And we needed to communicate this
to the country.

269
00:15:56,240 --> 00:15:57,720
So, we used social media.

270
00:15:57,760 --> 00:16:00,360
The young generation
in the country

271
00:16:00,480 --> 00:16:02,520
discussed science on that.

272
00:16:02,600 --> 00:16:05,480
And today,
almost 1 million likes we have.

273
00:16:07,760 --> 00:16:10,480
Even as India celebrated
a successful launch

274
00:16:10,520 --> 00:16:11,920
of its Mars Orbiter

275
00:16:12,040 --> 00:16:15,240
the US launched its own
Mars mission, MAVEN.

276
00:16:15,320 --> 00:16:19,200
And lift-off of the Atlas V
with MAVEN.

277
00:16:19,320 --> 00:16:22,080
Looking for clues
about the evolution of Mars

278
00:16:22,120 --> 00:16:23,760
through its atmosphere.

279
00:16:23,800 --> 00:16:25,680
They had
a powerful launch vehicle

280
00:16:25,720 --> 00:16:28,640
that put MAVEN
on a direct path to Mars.

281
00:16:28,880 --> 00:16:30,800
The stage was now set.

282
00:16:31,560 --> 00:16:32,920
Everything's looking good.

283
00:16:33,760 --> 00:16:37,400
There was serious pressure
on India to ensure success.

284
00:16:37,760 --> 00:16:39,800
They could not afford to fail.

285
00:16:41,800 --> 00:16:44,960
Mangalyaan was built
in a record 15 months

286
00:16:45,000 --> 00:16:48,920
on a shoestring budget
of USD 74 million.

287
00:16:49,200 --> 00:16:51,560
Compared to NASA's
Mars Orbiter, MAVEN

288
00:16:51,600 --> 00:16:54,560
USD 670 million.

289
00:16:55,800 --> 00:16:58,320
Doing it at $70 million

290
00:16:58,480 --> 00:17:02,560
was really a huge, huge benefit

291
00:17:02,800 --> 00:17:04,400
not just in saving money

292
00:17:04,560 --> 00:17:06,600
but it paves the way
for the world

293
00:17:06,640 --> 00:17:08,920
to look
at interplanetary missions

294
00:17:08,960 --> 00:17:12,840
which are less than
$100 million in costs.

295
00:17:17,840 --> 00:17:20,360
India's highly
cost-effective spacecrafts

296
00:17:20,400 --> 00:17:23,800
like Mangalyaan are built
in this high security facility

297
00:17:23,840 --> 00:17:25,240
in Bengaluru.

298
00:17:28,600 --> 00:17:31,880
Scientists work in a specifically
designed clean room.

299
00:17:32,080 --> 00:17:33,960
Dust is one
of the biggest enemies

300
00:17:34,000 --> 00:17:36,920
of deep space satellites
like the Mars Orbiter.

301
00:17:37,240 --> 00:17:40,480
Even a speck of dust
could be catastrophic

302
00:17:40,560 --> 00:17:42,040
jamming systems.

303
00:17:44,640 --> 00:17:47,960
Mangalyaan is
a surprisingly small cuboid.

304
00:17:48,720 --> 00:17:50,800
A little smaller
than an autorickshaw

305
00:17:50,840 --> 00:17:52,920
and about three times its weight.

306
00:17:53,240 --> 00:17:56,680
Systems on Mangalyaan
are miniaturised and light.

307
00:17:58,080 --> 00:17:59,880
You have to miniaturise
because you are taking

308
00:17:59,920 --> 00:18:01,720
the object farther and farther.

309
00:18:01,760 --> 00:18:04,480
Basically, it's miniaturisation

310
00:18:04,520 --> 00:18:05,800
to a very high level

311
00:18:05,840 --> 00:18:08,080
what has not
been attempted so far.

312
00:18:11,680 --> 00:18:14,640
Mangalyaan's brain
is a highly intelligent system

313
00:18:14,680 --> 00:18:17,040
that will allow it to communicate
with the mission team

314
00:18:17,080 --> 00:18:20,920
from millions of kilometres away
and even function on its own.

315
00:18:22,040 --> 00:18:24,600
The solar panels
will power its brain.

316
00:18:24,720 --> 00:18:27,800
But it also has a backup
lithium-ion battery.

317
00:18:28,160 --> 00:18:31,120
Its high-powered antenna
will point towards Earth

318
00:18:31,160 --> 00:18:33,720
to be able to send
and receive messages.

319
00:18:35,600 --> 00:18:38,840
Star sensors and gyroscopes
act as navigation aids

320
00:18:38,880 --> 00:18:41,760
to keep the orbiter
on its precise path.

321
00:18:42,760 --> 00:18:44,760
Its five instruments
will send back

322
00:18:44,800 --> 00:18:47,480
scientific information
about Mars.

323
00:18:47,960 --> 00:18:50,600
Its engine
is powered by liquid fuel.

324
00:18:51,000 --> 00:18:53,600
It has to use this fuel
very carefully.

325
00:18:53,720 --> 00:18:56,520
There are no pit stops to refuel
during its long

326
00:18:56,560 --> 00:18:59,720
over 650 million-kilometre
journey.

327
00:18:59,760 --> 00:19:01,560
This was one
of the biggest concerns

328
00:19:01,600 --> 00:19:03,080
for the mission team.

329
00:19:05,160 --> 00:19:06,920
After a successful launch

330
00:19:06,960 --> 00:19:08,360
Mangalyaan has been put

331
00:19:08,400 --> 00:19:10,800
on an elliptical orbit
around Earth.

332
00:19:11,320 --> 00:19:14,480
Over the next 25 days,
scientists will fire up

333
00:19:14,520 --> 00:19:17,800
Mangalyaan's engine six times
to raise the orbit

334
00:19:17,840 --> 00:19:19,800
and increase its velocity
high enough

335
00:19:19,840 --> 00:19:22,880
so it can escape
Earth's sphere of influence.

336
00:19:24,120 --> 00:19:26,880
In very simple terms,
it's what we did to Mangalyaan.

337
00:19:26,920 --> 00:19:28,760
Imagine the red ball
is the Mangalyaan.

338
00:19:28,800 --> 00:19:32,040
And we flung it around Earth
in bigger and faster loops

339
00:19:32,080 --> 00:19:33,840
until it got sufficient velocity.

340
00:19:33,880 --> 00:19:35,600
And when it got that velocity

341
00:19:35,640 --> 00:19:37,400
we flung it towards Mars.

342
00:19:42,040 --> 00:19:45,040
The room for error
at every stage is narrow

343
00:19:45,080 --> 00:19:47,640
as they cannot afford
to waste fuel.

344
00:19:49,680 --> 00:19:52,840
Mangalyaan has completed
3 orbit-raising operations

345
00:19:52,880 --> 00:19:54,040
around Earth

346
00:19:54,080 --> 00:19:56,200
each bigger
than the previous one.

347
00:19:56,400 --> 00:19:59,560
And then scientists
hit another snag.

348
00:19:59,800 --> 00:20:01,960
The 4th time, the engine fired up

349
00:20:02,000 --> 00:20:04,120
it underperformed
and did not reach

350
00:20:04,160 --> 00:20:05,760
the targeted velocity.

351
00:20:05,800 --> 00:20:07,920
This means
Mangalyaan would have to use

352
00:20:07,960 --> 00:20:10,840
extra fuel to make up
for the shortfall.

353
00:20:13,680 --> 00:20:16,720
B. S. Kiran's expertise
in mathematical modelling

354
00:20:16,760 --> 00:20:18,720
lead him to establish
a precise path

355
00:20:18,760 --> 00:20:21,120
for Mangalyaan's Mars encounter.

356
00:20:21,760 --> 00:20:24,000
He was worried
because snags like this

357
00:20:24,040 --> 00:20:26,720
could affect Managalyaan's date
with Mars.

358
00:20:26,760 --> 00:20:28,360
The main engine shut down

359
00:20:28,800 --> 00:20:31,120
due to some onboard logic.

360
00:20:31,200 --> 00:20:34,200
So, after which
we could not impart

361
00:20:34,240 --> 00:20:37,080
the desired velocity increment
in that manoeuver.

362
00:20:37,120 --> 00:20:39,200
All our problems
what we are talking about

363
00:20:39,240 --> 00:20:43,120
for this entire mission
comes primarily from the reason

364
00:20:43,200 --> 00:20:45,080
the amount of fuel
we are carrying.

365
00:20:45,120 --> 00:20:46,680
If something goes wrong

366
00:20:46,720 --> 00:20:50,520
the amount of fuel that is left
for correction and recovery

367
00:20:50,680 --> 00:20:53,440
would have prevented us
from going to Mars.

368
00:20:54,880 --> 00:20:56,520
After much deliberation

369
00:20:56,560 --> 00:21:00,440
the team decides on firing up
the engine for one extra time

370
00:21:00,480 --> 00:21:03,920
to ensure Mangalyaan speeds up
to the required velocity.

371
00:21:09,840 --> 00:21:11,760
Space scientists are tense

372
00:21:11,800 --> 00:21:13,840
but calmly oversee the protocol.

373
00:21:13,880 --> 00:21:15,200
So, at that time

374
00:21:15,360 --> 00:21:17,920
we had many possible scenarios.

375
00:21:17,960 --> 00:21:19,920
We had worked out
almost something like

376
00:21:19,960 --> 00:21:22,800
250 reasons why we could fail.

377
00:21:22,960 --> 00:21:25,960
So, any of those failures,
if they occur

378
00:21:26,000 --> 00:21:28,520
is there a possibility for us
to correct.

379
00:21:28,560 --> 00:21:31,600
And correct with the fuel
which is still sufficient for us

380
00:21:31,640 --> 00:21:35,040
to do the rest of the travel
and insert in Mars.

381
00:21:35,800 --> 00:21:38,120
Mangalyaan makes up
for the shortfall

382
00:21:38,160 --> 00:21:40,080
in an additional engine burn.

383
00:21:43,120 --> 00:21:45,520
And the correction is successful.

384
00:21:48,200 --> 00:21:50,720
Mangalyaan now
has only a few days left

385
00:21:50,760 --> 00:21:52,600
before it leaves Earth's orbit.

386
00:21:55,360 --> 00:21:56,800
And as a farewell message

387
00:21:56,880 --> 00:21:59,440
it sends back
its very first picture.

388
00:22:06,120 --> 00:22:09,840
A picture clicked using
its cool Mars colour camera

389
00:22:09,920 --> 00:22:12,880
built at the Space
Application Centre in Ahmedabad.

390
00:22:17,040 --> 00:22:19,240
This camera
and other instruments designed

391
00:22:19,320 --> 00:22:21,400
at this centre
are crucial to the mission

392
00:22:21,600 --> 00:22:23,000
as they will allow Mangalyaan

393
00:22:23,040 --> 00:22:25,360
to study Mars' surface
and atmosphere

394
00:22:25,600 --> 00:22:28,120
and send that information
back home.

395
00:22:31,840 --> 00:22:34,320
And all this high-end
engineering innovation

396
00:22:34,440 --> 00:22:37,640
for space research
is driven by local talent.

397
00:22:39,320 --> 00:22:40,800
We had to design the payloads

398
00:22:40,920 --> 00:22:43,160
such that it could fit into
that budget of mass and power.

399
00:22:43,360 --> 00:22:44,760
That was extremely challenging.

400
00:22:44,840 --> 00:22:47,040
And really go
for very state-of-the-art

401
00:22:47,080 --> 00:22:48,480
components and elements

402
00:22:48,520 --> 00:22:49,880
so that we could
make our instruments

403
00:22:49,920 --> 00:22:52,000
lightweight and very low power.

404
00:22:55,600 --> 00:22:59,000
Mangalyaan is now gearing up
to bid goodbye to Earth

405
00:22:59,200 --> 00:23:01,200
and make its way towards Mars.

406
00:23:01,240 --> 00:23:02,920
The trans-Mars
injection manoeuver

407
00:23:03,080 --> 00:23:05,040
we planned and executed.

408
00:23:05,680 --> 00:23:08,560
That also went through.
As an operation

409
00:23:08,800 --> 00:23:10,320
I would say it was perfect.

410
00:23:12,440 --> 00:23:15,520
The engine is fired up
and jettisons Mangalyaan

411
00:23:15,560 --> 00:23:16,800
out of Earth's orbit

412
00:23:16,920 --> 00:23:19,800
and on its first ever
interplanetary journey

413
00:23:19,920 --> 00:23:21,320
towards Mars.

414
00:23:23,040 --> 00:23:26,040
A new chapter
in India's space odyssey

415
00:23:26,480 --> 00:23:27,560
has begun.

416
00:23:34,080 --> 00:23:36,640
The further Mangalyaan
travels away from Earth

417
00:23:36,680 --> 00:23:39,360
the greater the danger
of losing contact with it.

418
00:23:39,720 --> 00:23:42,040
But as it hurtles
in the unfamiliar territory

419
00:23:42,120 --> 00:23:45,960
of outer space, accurate
navigation and communication

420
00:23:46,000 --> 00:23:47,880
would make or break

421
00:23:47,920 --> 00:23:49,800
India's Mars ambition.

422
00:23:57,280 --> 00:23:59,520
Mangalyaan,
India's Mars Orbiter

423
00:23:59,600 --> 00:24:01,400
is now hurtling towards Mars

424
00:24:01,480 --> 00:24:03,960
at a speed of over
20 kilometres per second.

425
00:24:08,320 --> 00:24:09,600
Scientists feel

426
00:24:09,720 --> 00:24:12,920
that Mars holds some secrets

427
00:24:13,040 --> 00:24:16,520
about the origin of life
on the Planet Earth.

428
00:24:16,960 --> 00:24:20,320
And also it is believed,
that after a few decades

429
00:24:20,680 --> 00:24:24,000
humankind would be able
to have habitat in Mars.

430
00:24:25,160 --> 00:24:27,760
Futurists have been
fascinated with Mars

431
00:24:27,840 --> 00:24:29,960
due to its proximity to Earth.

432
00:24:30,000 --> 00:24:32,280
In many ways,
it's a little like Earth.

433
00:24:32,480 --> 00:24:35,800
For starters, its surface
is very similar to Earth's

434
00:24:35,920 --> 00:24:39,240
and the length of its day
a little more than 24 hours.

435
00:24:40,120 --> 00:24:43,360
1 Mars year is equal
to about 2 Earth years.

436
00:24:43,800 --> 00:24:47,560
And the weight on Mars is about
one-third the weight on Earth.

437
00:24:47,920 --> 00:24:51,680
Like Earth, it has volcanoes,
canyons and polar ice caps.

438
00:24:52,720 --> 00:24:55,480
This is what
excites space scientists

439
00:24:55,520 --> 00:24:57,840
possibilitie
for future colonisation.

440
00:24:59,400 --> 00:25:00,640
Former President

441
00:25:01,040 --> 00:25:03,880
President APJ Abdul Kalam
once told me

442
00:25:05,000 --> 00:25:08,240
Earth, Moon and Mars

443
00:25:08,680 --> 00:25:11,200
are all part of one

444
00:25:11,240 --> 00:25:13,520
industrial complex.

445
00:25:13,800 --> 00:25:17,000
He always felt that there
would be mining of the Moon

446
00:25:17,200 --> 00:25:21,160
there would be mining of Mars,
and the human race

447
00:25:21,360 --> 00:25:24,920
would be travelling
between Earth, Moon and Mars

448
00:25:25,040 --> 00:25:27,000
as one configuration.

449
00:25:30,320 --> 00:25:33,680
As it travels towards Mars
after leaving Earth's Orbit

450
00:25:33,840 --> 00:25:36,520
Mangalyaan is
in almost frictionless vacuum.

451
00:25:37,240 --> 00:25:39,040
Its engine has been switched off

452
00:25:39,200 --> 00:25:41,880
and will be turned on
300 days later

453
00:25:42,040 --> 00:25:43,600
when it approaches Mars.

454
00:25:46,120 --> 00:25:49,480
Mangalyaan is in an unfamiliar
and extreme environment.

455
00:25:50,240 --> 00:25:52,640
For one, it's travelling away
from the Sun

456
00:25:52,760 --> 00:25:54,640
so the temperatures
it's exposed to

457
00:25:54,680 --> 00:25:58,160
can be lower than
-150 degree centigrade.

458
00:26:04,760 --> 00:26:07,840
ISRO scientists are prepared
for this eventuality.

459
00:26:08,360 --> 00:26:11,360
Mangalyaan was tested
to endure a vacuum environment

460
00:26:11,440 --> 00:26:14,560
high vibration,
extreme temperature variation

461
00:26:14,800 --> 00:26:16,440
and high levels of sound

462
00:26:16,880 --> 00:26:19,400
to prepare it
for this epic journey.

463
00:26:21,320 --> 00:26:24,440
The testing requirements
were very huge

464
00:26:24,520 --> 00:26:27,520
because we have to simulate
so many scenarios.

465
00:26:27,720 --> 00:26:31,280
So, those kinds of thousands
and thousands of combinations

466
00:26:31,360 --> 00:26:33,440
need to be tested in the ground

467
00:26:33,600 --> 00:26:35,920
to ensure that we don't get

468
00:26:36,280 --> 00:26:38,120
any failure in some of the parts.

469
00:26:39,880 --> 00:26:42,440
India's Mars Orbiter
is on schedule.

470
00:26:42,960 --> 00:26:45,640
If all goes well,
it will reach Mars orbit

471
00:26:45,760 --> 00:26:48,160
on September the 24th, 2014.

472
00:26:48,800 --> 00:26:51,840
But the mission team knows
that's easier said than done.

473
00:26:53,280 --> 00:26:55,600
So, how does
one navigate a spacecraft

474
00:26:55,640 --> 00:26:58,440
when all you can see
is deep space?

475
00:27:00,760 --> 00:27:03,680
Hundreds of years ago,
Ancient Indian astronomers

476
00:27:03,760 --> 00:27:05,240
like Aryabhata and Varahamihira

477
00:27:05,400 --> 00:27:07,600
using very
rudimentary instruments

478
00:27:07,720 --> 00:27:10,240
have studied the stars
and mapped them

479
00:27:10,280 --> 00:27:12,280
and studied
the planetary motions.

480
00:27:12,400 --> 00:27:15,560
Ancient explorers have used
the stars in the night sky

481
00:27:15,680 --> 00:27:18,720
to navigate their position
and go around in the exploration.

482
00:27:18,960 --> 00:27:21,840
In a similar way,
our Mars mission team

483
00:27:21,880 --> 00:27:24,480
has also used the stars
around the spacecraft

484
00:27:24,760 --> 00:27:26,640
to know their precise orientation

485
00:27:26,680 --> 00:27:29,400
and proceed accurately
towards Mars.

486
00:27:31,360 --> 00:27:32,800
And that team was spearheaded

487
00:27:32,840 --> 00:27:35,880
by Nandini Harinath
and Ritu Karidhal

488
00:27:36,240 --> 00:27:38,160
who monitor power
and communication

489
00:27:38,280 --> 00:27:40,720
and operate Mangalyaan
to stay on course.

490
00:27:41,520 --> 00:27:43,360
There was a lot of anxiety,
you know

491
00:27:43,400 --> 00:27:46,000
whether things would work
or not work.

492
00:27:47,840 --> 00:27:51,040
There were many reasons why
Mangalyaan could veer off course.

493
00:27:51,680 --> 00:27:54,400
The Sun's radiation
or the firing of the engine

494
00:27:54,760 --> 00:27:57,120
could exert a force
on the body of the craft

495
00:27:57,560 --> 00:28:00,440
which could cause the spacecraft
to rotate or wobble

496
00:28:00,480 --> 00:28:01,960
like a clumsy ball.

497
00:28:02,000 --> 00:28:04,520
It needs to be
really monitored, corrected

498
00:28:04,560 --> 00:28:07,760
so that the orbit which
we achieve is precise.

499
00:28:10,800 --> 00:28:12,800
The mammoth task
ahead of this team

500
00:28:12,960 --> 00:28:16,120
was to keep Mangalyaan's
antenna pointing towards Earth

501
00:28:16,240 --> 00:28:18,280
so it could communicate
uninterrupted

502
00:28:18,360 --> 00:28:20,760
with the mission team
across millions of kilometres.

503
00:28:21,840 --> 00:28:23,680
Mind-boggling when you compare

504
00:28:23,760 --> 00:28:25,240
what a challenge it is to manage

505
00:28:25,280 --> 00:28:28,640
an uninterrupted mobile
communication here on Earth.

506
00:28:37,760 --> 00:28:39,480
And speaking with Mangalyaan

507
00:28:39,560 --> 00:28:42,560
was this loud mouth
or the deep space antenna

508
00:28:42,720 --> 00:28:44,960
loacted in the the sleepy town
of Byalalu

509
00:28:45,360 --> 00:28:47,200
in the outskirts of Bengaluru.

510
00:28:53,720 --> 00:28:56,560
Antenna basically,
has got a very sensitive ear

511
00:28:56,760 --> 00:28:59,360
and a loud mouth antenna,
which means that

512
00:28:59,480 --> 00:29:02,920
even in the background
of heavy noise

513
00:29:03,160 --> 00:29:04,400
so the signal is so weak

514
00:29:04,600 --> 00:29:06,120
we will be able
to decode the signal.

515
00:29:06,280 --> 00:29:08,440
It is very sensitive enough
to decode

516
00:29:08,480 --> 00:29:10,280
even the weakest possible signal.

517
00:29:10,600 --> 00:29:12,680
At the same time,
we have to pump

518
00:29:12,920 --> 00:29:15,520
an extra,
very high-power level

519
00:29:15,560 --> 00:29:17,760
to transmit from ground station.

520
00:29:18,840 --> 00:29:20,960
Depending on where Mangalyaan is

521
00:29:21,280 --> 00:29:24,240
it takes anywhere
between 8 to 43 minutes

522
00:29:24,280 --> 00:29:27,240
for a message to be sent
and received by Mangalyaan.

523
00:29:27,560 --> 00:29:29,040
To send a message from Earth

524
00:29:29,160 --> 00:29:32,360
20 kilowatts of power
is pumped through this antenna

525
00:29:32,480 --> 00:29:34,720
a really loud shout to Mars.

526
00:29:39,280 --> 00:29:41,640
Back at the Mission Control Room
in Bengaluru

527
00:29:41,880 --> 00:29:43,440
the countdown has started.

528
00:29:43,760 --> 00:29:45,960
Mangalyaan is now nearing Mars.

529
00:29:46,280 --> 00:29:47,480
Over the past months

530
00:29:47,520 --> 00:29:50,280
scientists have corrected
Mangalyaan's course

531
00:29:50,400 --> 00:29:54,000
adjusted its speed and checked
and cross-checked its controls.

532
00:29:55,960 --> 00:29:57,560
The big moment is near

533
00:29:57,600 --> 00:30:00,480
when Mangalyaan
has to enter the Mars orbit.

534
00:30:01,280 --> 00:30:04,640
But this part of the journey
is fraught with challenges.

535
00:30:07,400 --> 00:30:09,520
The mission team is
under great pressure

536
00:30:09,720 --> 00:30:11,760
and it has one big worry.

537
00:30:13,280 --> 00:30:14,920
Mangalyaan's engine.

538
00:30:15,920 --> 00:30:18,800
The same engine
is required to work

539
00:30:18,960 --> 00:30:21,560
after a period of about 9 months
of travel.

540
00:30:23,800 --> 00:30:25,280
Mangalyaan has been hurtling

541
00:30:25,320 --> 00:30:27,000
through almost
frictionless vacuum

542
00:30:27,200 --> 00:30:29,520
at a speed of over
20 kilometres per second

543
00:30:29,640 --> 00:30:31,480
without the use of its engine.

544
00:30:32,480 --> 00:30:35,560
The engine was last turned on
around 300 days back

545
00:30:35,600 --> 00:30:36,720
to speed the craft up

546
00:30:36,800 --> 00:30:39,320
enough to leave Earth's
sphere of influence.

547
00:30:40,000 --> 00:30:43,440
It now needs to fire up again
to enter Mars orbit.

548
00:30:46,720 --> 00:30:48,960
In the worst case,
it would have been a fly-by.

549
00:30:49,040 --> 00:30:52,520
We will not be able to capture it
into an Orbiter on Mars.

550
00:30:52,720 --> 00:30:54,160
It will do one swing-by

551
00:30:54,200 --> 00:30:57,160
and go away again out
of Martian sphere of influence.

552
00:31:00,640 --> 00:31:02,760
Years of hardwork and planning

553
00:31:03,000 --> 00:31:05,160
days and nights
of careful tracking

554
00:31:05,320 --> 00:31:07,640
and it all comes down
to one moment

555
00:31:07,880 --> 00:31:09,920
with the odds
stacked against them.

556
00:31:10,120 --> 00:31:12,840
Will the engine come on
at the crucial moment

557
00:31:12,880 --> 00:31:14,680
to allow Mangalyaan

558
00:31:14,720 --> 00:31:17,360
to successfully enter Mars orbit?

559
00:31:19,400 --> 00:31:22,320
The satellite was in slumber,
like a coma.

560
00:31:22,800 --> 00:31:25,360
And then, it had to be woken up.

561
00:31:26,480 --> 00:31:29,440
So, it's very similar
to like in Ramayana

562
00:31:29,600 --> 00:31:32,440
where you have Kumbhakarna
who is sleeping

563
00:31:32,480 --> 00:31:36,600
and then wakes up
and does what is required in war.

564
00:31:38,960 --> 00:31:40,200
What's the br..
- Scientists

565
00:31:40,240 --> 00:31:42,200
at the Mission Control Room
are tense.

566
00:31:44,960 --> 00:31:46,680
India's spacecraft Mangalyaan

567
00:31:46,760 --> 00:31:49,360
is preparing to enter the orbit
of Planet Mars.

568
00:31:50,240 --> 00:31:53,720
Everyone's big concern is whether
the engine that was shut off

569
00:31:53,840 --> 00:31:55,640
almost 300 days ago

570
00:31:55,720 --> 00:31:59,120
would come on for the spacecraft
to succeed in its mission.

571
00:32:00,600 --> 00:32:03,400
The same engine
is required to work

572
00:32:03,600 --> 00:32:06,320
after a period of about
9 months of travel.

573
00:32:06,480 --> 00:32:08,160
That means there is a long gap

574
00:32:08,240 --> 00:32:11,760
between the initial operations
requirement

575
00:32:11,840 --> 00:32:14,400
and the subsequent need
for usage.

576
00:32:16,480 --> 00:32:20,480
Now, after 300 days,
the engine had to be turned on

577
00:32:20,520 --> 00:32:23,680
to enable Mangalyaan
to do a complicated manoeuvre

578
00:32:23,840 --> 00:32:27,320
of slowing down
to enter the Martian orbit.

579
00:32:28,520 --> 00:32:32,840
Initially, our task was
to increase the velocity.

580
00:32:33,040 --> 00:32:34,920
But on September 24th

581
00:32:35,400 --> 00:32:37,600
our task was
to reduce that velocity

582
00:32:37,760 --> 00:32:39,360
at the right time so that

583
00:32:39,440 --> 00:32:43,440
instead of flying through
the planetary system

584
00:32:44,000 --> 00:32:46,320
it will be properly captured
around Mars.

585
00:32:46,440 --> 00:32:49,840
This breaking was done

586
00:32:50,200 --> 00:32:52,160
by turning the spacecraft

587
00:32:52,400 --> 00:32:55,680
and then firing the liquid engine
in the opposite direction.

588
00:32:59,760 --> 00:33:02,840
Several Mars missions
have failed at this stage.

589
00:33:03,280 --> 00:33:05,920
If the velocity is
not adjusted accurately

590
00:33:06,160 --> 00:33:08,880
Mangalyaan could crash
into Mars' surface

591
00:33:09,200 --> 00:33:11,760
or fail to enter
into its intended orbit

592
00:33:11,960 --> 00:33:15,040
and wander off aimlessly
into space.

593
00:33:21,360 --> 00:33:23,240
2 days before D-Day

594
00:33:23,320 --> 00:33:25,080
or Mars Orbit Insertion

595
00:33:25,520 --> 00:33:28,600
the decision is taken to test
if the engine would come on.

596
00:33:34,040 --> 00:33:37,360
Mangalyaan's engine fired up
without a hitch.

597
00:33:37,480 --> 00:33:39,840
Well done.

598
00:33:40,600 --> 00:33:42,520
For the last trajectory
correction manoeuvre

599
00:33:42,680 --> 00:33:45,440
which happened 41 hours
before the MOI.

600
00:33:45,760 --> 00:33:48,720
So, it was decided to use
the main lam engine.

601
00:33:48,920 --> 00:33:52,120
And that day, the engine
performed flawlessly

602
00:33:52,280 --> 00:33:55,560
for 4 seconds and we could
get exactly what we wanted.

603
00:33:57,680 --> 00:34:00,080
Scientists
were temporarily relieved

604
00:34:00,240 --> 00:34:02,760
but the real challenge
was looming ahead.

605
00:34:07,120 --> 00:34:10,320
News comes in that
America's Mars Orbiter, MAVEN

606
00:34:10,360 --> 00:34:13,680
has successfully entered
into the Martian orbit.

607
00:34:16,080 --> 00:34:19,840
Will India be able to do
the same with Mangalyaan?

608
00:34:21,480 --> 00:34:24,760
Insertion of Mars satellite
into the orbit

609
00:34:25,080 --> 00:34:26,680
you have only one opportunity

610
00:34:26,720 --> 00:34:28,240
so you cannot fail.

611
00:34:28,280 --> 00:34:31,480
There is no correction possible
for you simply because

612
00:34:31,520 --> 00:34:33,000
you do not have enough fuel.

613
00:34:33,200 --> 00:34:35,640
See, most of the other missions
which have been done

614
00:34:35,960 --> 00:34:38,840
they carry with them
so much more fuel

615
00:34:39,040 --> 00:34:41,640
that even if some problem occurs,
an error occurs

616
00:34:41,880 --> 00:34:44,440
there is enough opportunity
for you to recover

617
00:34:44,480 --> 00:34:46,120
and then make it happen.

618
00:34:48,520 --> 00:34:50,840
Scientists
had many hurdles ahead.

619
00:34:50,880 --> 00:34:53,360
What makes this moment
even more difficult

620
00:34:53,520 --> 00:34:56,320
is that while Mangalyaan
enters the Martian orbit

621
00:34:56,480 --> 00:34:58,560
it will go behind the Red Planet

622
00:34:58,720 --> 00:35:02,560
thus cutting off communication
with Earth and the mission team.

623
00:35:05,040 --> 00:35:08,080
This means Mangalyaan
has to function on auto mode.

624
00:35:08,360 --> 00:35:10,200
Command Systems..

625
00:35:12,040 --> 00:35:13,960
Commands have been fed in advance

626
00:35:14,240 --> 00:35:15,720
but there was a catch.

627
00:35:17,840 --> 00:35:20,640
Mangalyaan's intelligent system,
or its brain

628
00:35:20,680 --> 00:35:22,840
is powered by its solar panels.

629
00:35:23,560 --> 00:35:25,160
But at the point of insertion

630
00:35:25,360 --> 00:35:28,520
sunlight to Mangalyaan
will be blocked off by Mars

631
00:35:28,760 --> 00:35:30,760
so it will not get
adequate power.

632
00:35:32,280 --> 00:35:34,840
The amount of power
the satellite requires

633
00:35:35,320 --> 00:35:38,840
for all its systems to function
is about 800 watts.

634
00:35:39,120 --> 00:35:41,560
That is equivalent
to 8 x 100-watt bulb.

635
00:35:41,640 --> 00:35:44,560
So, with that minimal power
even the satellite can function.

636
00:35:44,880 --> 00:35:48,120
So, the solar energy
that Mars receives is much less.

637
00:35:48,360 --> 00:35:51,120
So, it varies in the region
of 40% to 60%

638
00:35:51,440 --> 00:35:54,480
of what one would receive
on Earth.

639
00:35:56,760 --> 00:35:59,640
Mangalyaan's design
did take this into account.

640
00:36:00,240 --> 00:36:02,480
It has a backup
lithium-ion battery.

641
00:36:02,680 --> 00:36:05,520
So, in effect, Mangalyaan
would enter Mars orbit

642
00:36:05,600 --> 00:36:08,440
on its own, powered by a battery.

643
00:36:18,760 --> 00:36:20,840
The satellite
is going behind Mars

644
00:36:20,920 --> 00:36:23,200
so it will get into
what you can say

645
00:36:23,280 --> 00:36:25,040
line of sight nonvisibility.

646
00:36:25,360 --> 00:36:27,320
Then, it was also going
into eclipse

647
00:36:27,440 --> 00:36:30,080
because the power generation
on the satellite was going down.

648
00:36:30,320 --> 00:36:32,680
So, all those things
were almost like a negative.

649
00:36:32,960 --> 00:36:35,200
So, you don't have access
after 4 minutes

650
00:36:35,240 --> 00:36:36,760
and you don't have visibility.

651
00:36:36,840 --> 00:36:40,440
So, I kept telling,
"Prepare for the worst"

652
00:36:40,560 --> 00:36:41,680
"hope for the best."

653
00:36:41,880 --> 00:36:43,680
That is the motto we can say.

654
00:36:54,360 --> 00:36:57,280
September 24th, 2014.

655
00:36:58,120 --> 00:37:00,240
A calm morning in Bengaluru

656
00:37:02,280 --> 00:37:03,760
belies the fact

657
00:37:04,120 --> 00:37:06,720
this is the moment of truth

658
00:37:07,000 --> 00:37:09,720
for one of India's
most daring missions.

659
00:37:14,320 --> 00:37:16,760
Its first interplanetary journey

660
00:37:17,240 --> 00:37:18,320
to Mars.

661
00:37:23,080 --> 00:37:24,440
In the Mission Control Room

662
00:37:24,720 --> 00:37:26,440
Prime Minister Narendra Modi

663
00:37:26,520 --> 00:37:30,080
is intently watching
history unfold before his eyes.

664
00:37:31,080 --> 00:37:34,320
India's Space Research
Organisation's top bosses

665
00:37:34,360 --> 00:37:37,480
K. Radhakrishnan
and A. S. Kiran Kumar

666
00:37:37,760 --> 00:37:40,000
calmly monitor the progress
of the mission.

667
00:37:45,840 --> 00:37:49,320
We had to do a lot
of new developments.

668
00:37:49,880 --> 00:37:52,400
We had to go through
detail testing.

669
00:37:53,440 --> 00:37:56,280
The team did that
what was considered impossible

670
00:37:56,520 --> 00:37:59,520
basically, the unleashing
of the energy of this team.

671
00:37:59,560 --> 00:38:03,200
And the team evolved
as they went ahead.

672
00:38:03,240 --> 00:38:06,560
Upto September 24th,
it was a great phase of learning.

673
00:38:06,760 --> 00:38:08,600
And you would have seen
in the Mission Control Centre

674
00:38:08,640 --> 00:38:11,880
that day,
the bubbling youth

675
00:38:12,120 --> 00:38:14,440
and the experienced elders

676
00:38:14,680 --> 00:38:18,160
all coming together
around this great mission.

677
00:38:22,040 --> 00:38:24,040
The plan of action is triggered.

678
00:38:26,440 --> 00:38:28,960
Mangalyaan
reorients to slow down.

679
00:38:35,680 --> 00:38:37,440
5 minutes before ignition

680
00:38:37,480 --> 00:38:40,040
Mangalyaan passes
into the Martian shadow

681
00:38:40,080 --> 00:38:41,400
entering an eclipse.

682
00:38:44,280 --> 00:38:46,600
The solar panels
do not generate enough power

683
00:38:46,720 --> 00:38:49,360
as Mars obstructs sunlight
to the Orbiter.

684
00:38:49,920 --> 00:38:53,040
So, Mangalyaan switches
to its lithium-ion battery.

685
00:38:54,960 --> 00:38:57,000
At this point,
Mangalyaan is still

686
00:38:57,040 --> 00:38:58,480
in line of sight with Earth.

687
00:39:01,440 --> 00:39:04,280
The engine fires up,
but 4 minutes later

688
00:39:04,520 --> 00:39:06,680
Mangalyaan goes behind Mars

689
00:39:08,040 --> 00:39:10,920
cutting off all communication
with the mission team.

690
00:39:14,840 --> 00:39:18,920
It will be over 25 minutes
before a signal is received.

691
00:39:24,160 --> 00:39:27,360
There is pin-drop silence
in the Mission Control Room.

692
00:39:30,760 --> 00:39:32,840
Without the signal
from Mangalyaan

693
00:39:32,880 --> 00:39:35,080
teams could only hope
that their spacecraft

694
00:39:35,120 --> 00:39:37,080
was behaving well and as planned.

695
00:39:37,920 --> 00:39:40,480
It seems like the longest wait.

696
00:39:44,360 --> 00:39:47,000
At this time, we had
no real-time communication

697
00:39:47,040 --> 00:39:48,360
on what was happening.

698
00:39:48,480 --> 00:39:51,080
We had to wait patiently
for the final result.

699
00:39:51,440 --> 00:39:53,320
It is like a period
of measured silence

700
00:39:53,480 --> 00:39:54,640
in a symphony.

701
00:39:54,880 --> 00:39:55,920
Life is like that

702
00:39:55,960 --> 00:39:57,880
and space science
is always like that.

703
00:39:58,160 --> 00:40:02,760
You have to wait for that period
of almost half an hour

704
00:40:03,120 --> 00:40:05,720
knowing that, "Okay,
everything is going on fine."

705
00:40:05,960 --> 00:40:07,680
Or, "Is it going on fine?"

706
00:40:07,720 --> 00:40:10,840
Will you get back the satellite?
This thing..

707
00:40:10,880 --> 00:40:13,000
So, that is the apprehension
at that time.

708
00:40:15,360 --> 00:40:17,040
At this critical juncture

709
00:40:17,320 --> 00:40:19,880
NASA's ground stations
in Goldstone, California

710
00:40:20,040 --> 00:40:23,680
and Canberra, Australia
are intently tracking Mangalyaan.

711
00:40:24,280 --> 00:40:27,040
They would be the first to
receive confirmation of success

712
00:40:27,080 --> 00:40:28,320
of this mission.

713
00:40:49,160 --> 00:40:52,320
The first message from Mangalyaan
comes in.

714
00:40:56,080 --> 00:40:58,920
It has successfully entered
Mars orbit.

715
00:40:59,200 --> 00:41:00,760
Scientists are jubilant.

716
00:41:01,200 --> 00:41:04,280
Prime Minister Modi
cannot help display his elation.

717
00:41:04,760 --> 00:41:08,520
This is a landmark moment
in India's space program.

718
00:41:16,320 --> 00:41:19,960
History has been created today.

719
00:41:21,040 --> 00:41:24,240
We have dared to reach out

720
00:41:25,080 --> 00:41:28,400
into the unknown
and have achieved

721
00:41:29,320 --> 00:41:31,480
the near impossible.

722
00:41:33,040 --> 00:41:35,040
I congratulate

723
00:41:35,440 --> 00:41:37,600
all ISRO scientists

724
00:41:38,080 --> 00:41:41,760
as well as all my fellow Indians

725
00:41:42,760 --> 00:41:44,960
on this historic occasion.

726
00:41:45,000 --> 00:41:47,600
On that day, September 24th

727
00:41:47,640 --> 00:41:50,680
the children from the schools,
they came early morning

728
00:41:50,920 --> 00:41:52,600
and they watched this thing.

729
00:41:52,640 --> 00:41:54,480
And we can see that response.

730
00:41:54,600 --> 00:41:59,280
The greatest benefit that we got
from this mission in my view

731
00:41:59,560 --> 00:42:02,640
is kindling those young minds

732
00:42:02,760 --> 00:42:04,400
to get into science

733
00:42:04,680 --> 00:42:07,200
to give a feeling
that India can do

734
00:42:07,360 --> 00:42:09,760
what people think impossible.

735
00:42:12,080 --> 00:42:16,040
As Mangalyaan cruises around Mars
in a highly elliptical orbit

736
00:42:16,320 --> 00:42:19,560
it cant wait to show off
its cool camera onboard.

737
00:42:19,720 --> 00:42:22,880
Rare and exciting photographs
start pouring in.

738
00:42:23,080 --> 00:42:25,360
A full disc picture of Mars.

739
00:42:25,600 --> 00:42:28,960
Volcanoes.
Large canyon ranges.

740
00:42:29,880 --> 00:42:31,280
Water vapour clouds.

741
00:42:32,400 --> 00:42:35,880
Phobos, one of the two
natural moons of Mars.

742
00:42:37,000 --> 00:42:39,840
Spacecrafts
like NASA's Curiosity rover

743
00:42:39,880 --> 00:42:43,440
that are already stationed
around Mars welcome Mangalyaan.

744
00:42:45,360 --> 00:42:47,520
Curiosity's Twitter handle posts

745
00:42:47,560 --> 00:42:48,520
"Namaste."

746
00:42:51,000 --> 00:42:53,520
And Mangalyaan replies, "Howdy."

747
00:42:56,600 --> 00:42:59,000
The MAVEN team congratulates ISRO

748
00:42:59,200 --> 00:43:00,720
for its Mars arrival.

749
00:43:00,880 --> 00:43:03,360
India's Orbiter
joins the missions

750
00:43:03,520 --> 00:43:05,400
studying the Red Planet.

751
00:43:06,160 --> 00:43:09,320
The Indian space agency
is now the 4th in the world

752
00:43:09,480 --> 00:43:11,840
to successfully send
a mission to Mars

753
00:43:12,320 --> 00:43:15,840
and the first ever to do this
in its maiden attempt.

754
00:43:17,040 --> 00:43:19,520
The international community
recognised this mission

755
00:43:19,920 --> 00:43:22,640
as a unique one,
for the simple reason

756
00:43:23,200 --> 00:43:24,520
it was done in a short time.

757
00:43:25,320 --> 00:43:29,000
It was also done
at a small budget.

758
00:43:29,240 --> 00:43:32,040
Whenever next there is
a big interplanetary mission

759
00:43:33,320 --> 00:43:35,480
the world can't ignore India now.

760
00:43:35,720 --> 00:43:37,920
India would be a party to it.

761
00:43:38,240 --> 00:43:40,120
So, that's the big gain

762
00:43:40,160 --> 00:43:42,720
out of the Mangalyaan mission.

763
00:43:42,840 --> 00:43:45,560
Our primary objective
will continue to be

764
00:43:45,960 --> 00:43:48,240
how we can bring in
this space technology

765
00:43:48,280 --> 00:43:49,720
for the benefit of the country.

766
00:43:52,320 --> 00:43:54,080
At the time of making this film

767
00:43:54,280 --> 00:43:55,640
Mangalyaan had completed

768
00:43:55,720 --> 00:43:58,240
over 100 orbits around Mars.

769
00:43:58,680 --> 00:44:01,440
It continues
to send back precious data.

770
00:44:04,200 --> 00:44:08,440
The Red Planet doesn't seem
so far after all.