New Delhi: India's voyage to Mars, if completed successfully by September 2014, will prove to be a boon for the nation in the world space arena. Experts describe India's mission to Mars as the cheapest inter-planetary mission ever to have been undertaken in half a century of space exploration.If all goes well and the satellite orbits the Red Planet, India's space agency will become the fourth in the world after those of the United States, Russia and Europe to undertake a successful Mars mission.It is an opportunity for India to beat its regional rival China in reaching the Mars, especially after a Russian mission carrying the first Chinese satellite to Mars failed in November 2011. Japan also failed in a similar effort in 1998.As per records on an average almost 45 missions to Mars have been launched since 1960. Of these about a third have failed. And no nation - apart from Mars Express, Europe's maiden venture to Mars representing 20 countries - has succeeded in its maiden venture.So if India's mission succeeds, it will have something to feel proud about.India's 1,350kg (2,976lb) robotic satellite which is undertaking the 10-month-long, over 200-million-kilometre journey to Mars is equipped with five instruments.They include a sensor to track methane or marsh gas - a possible sign of life - on Mars, a colour camera for taking pictures, and a thermal imaging spectrometer to map the surface and mineral wealth of the planet. The mission will also analyse the thin Martian atmosphere.
