Thiruvananthapuram:
India's maiden inter-planetary mission to Mars "Mangalyaan" was on course and the orbiter would reach the Martian orbit on September 24, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman K Radhakrishnan said on Monday.
Dismissing the skeptical views expressed by certain quarters over the mission, he said, "Mars mission is going well and will reach the orbit on September 24, 2014." This will make all in ISRO and also the people of the country proud "as it will be a major milestone for ISRO," Mr Radhakrishnan said at a felicitation function organised by The Institute of Engineers India (Kerala Chapter).
Now it took four minutes for a signal from the ground station to reach the spacecraft, launched from Sriharikota on November 5, he said.
Stating that many more missions were under different stages, Mr Radhakrishnan said another major project in the coming months would be the experimental mission of GSLV-MARK 3 with the crew module for country's human space flight mission.
ISRO's rating among the countries with space missions had gone up, he said, adding a USA-based bench mark agency has put the Indian agency in the sixth place.
ISRO had 10 successful launches during the last one year, he said, adding, "ISRO uses its resources judiciously for the benefit of the society."
Space scientists M Chandra Dathan, Director LPSC, K Sivan, Project Director GSLV and P Kuhhikrishnan, Project Director PSLV were also felicitated.