India's spacecraft nears Mars orbit - CNN.com

India's spacecraft nears Mars orbit - CNN.com: "ust days after NASA's Mars orbiter reached the Red Planet, India's first mission could follow suit and make history Wednesday.
India's Mars Orbiter Mission has been groundbreaking for the country, with a price tag of $74 million, a fraction of the $671 million NASA spent on its MAVEN spacecraft.
If Mars Orbiter Mission, also known as Mangalyaan, successfully enters Mars' orbit, India would become the first Asian nation to do so.
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To date, only the U.S., Europe and the Soviets have successfully sent spacecraft to Mars. But India is also aiming for another record.
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It's aiming to be the first country in the world to succeed in its first attempt to enter the Mars orbit, said S. Satish, a space expert based in Bangalore, India."



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