Looking towards success of India's Mars Mission: Omar Abdullah

JAMMU: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today wished for the success of India's maiden Mars Mission and said the knowledge we gain from the mission would benefit the space programme.

Responding to queries on the mission which was launched today, Omar said, "I am waiting for the day when India succeeds in the mission. That will be the day when I think we have truly arrived (in space programme)."

Calling the mission a major challenge, he said only few countries had launched a Mars mission. "Mars is a new frontier for our scientific community. It is obviously a major challenge," he said.

In a "new and complex mission design", ISRO's PSLV C 25 successfully injected the 1,350-kg 'Mangalyaan' Orbiter ('Mars craft' in Hindi) into the orbit around Earth some 44 minutes after a text book launch at 2.38 PM from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota of Andhra Pradesh, marking the successful completion of the first stage of the Rs 450 crore mission.