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 Satish Dhawan Space Centre spaceport here on board the workhorse PSLV-C25. With
Youth Congress activists celebrate the launch of India's Mars mission in Kolkata on Tuesday. PTI
ISRO chief K. Radhakrishnan addresses the media after the initial flutter over the separate Telangana state issue.
ISRO chief K. Radhakrishnan was in for a surprise when he came to address a press meet announcing the successful launch of its Mars mission. Pro-united AP journalists chose to attack the Centre's Telangana decision at the same venue. Picture shows
A technician monitors the functions of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C25) at the Satish Dhawan Space Center at Sriharikota (File photo). The third state ignition took place seconds later at 265.94 seconds and the third stage separation
At 201.75 seconds, and at an altitude of 113.169 km, the crucial heat shield got separated and this was followed by second stage separation at 264.74 seconds after launch and at an altitude of 132.311 km.
At 112.95 seconds, the second stage was ignited, giving the Orbiter a new thrust.
After 112.75 seconds into the launch and at an altitude of 57.67 km, the first stage of the rocket got separated successfully.
Technicians inspect the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV – C25) at the Satish Dhawan Space Center at Sriharikota in this file photo.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh congratulates ISRO chairman over phone after the successful launch of the Mars rocket, in New Delhi on Tuesday. PTI
People watch the television coverage of the progress of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C25) rocket that carries the Mars orbiter spacecraft, in New Delhi on Tuesday. India aims to join the world's deep-space pioneers with a journey to Mars
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.
PSLV-C25 carrying Mars Orbiter lifts off from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. AP
PSLV C25 lifts off from its launchpad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota on Tuesday. During the launch, ISRO chairman Dr K. Radhakrishnan and senior space scientists spent anxious moments at the launchpad control room.
In pictures: ISRO's Mars Orbiter blasts off successfully