Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) emeritus scientist N Vedachalam has said that scientific fraternity has a responsibility to inculcate scientific temper and motivate the youth, which is the backbone of the country.
Speaking at a lecture at Amity University on Tuesday, Vedachalam said that "Mangalyaan" was launched into the orbit of the Earth on November 5, 2013 by the ISRO and how scientists worked on a stringent deadline of 39 months to complete pre-launch preparations, using a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) rocket.
He also said that the launch window for the mission was approximately 20 days and it spent about a month in the orbit of the Earth, where it made a series of seven altitude-raising orbital manoeuvres before its trans-Mars injection on November 30, 2013.
Vedachalam further said, "Mars is also called the 'red planet' because of the rocks and soil being red, owing to the presence to Iron Oxide."
On Wednesday, the Mars Orbiter craft successfully entered the orbit of Mars, making India the first country to have been successful in entering the orbit of Mars in the first attempt.