Mars Orbiter Mission: Political parties hail 'historic' moment for India

New Delhi: From President Pranab Mukherjee to Prime Minister Modi, all came out with praise for ISRO after it successfully placed its Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) spacecraft in the Red Planet's orbit on the very first attempt.

“Hearty congratulations & best wishes to ISRO Team on Mangalyaan's success; nation proud of this historic achievement,” the President tweeted.  

Noting the “landmark occasion” for India, Vice President Hamid Ansari said he joins “the entire country in saluting them (scientists) on their success”.

“I am confident that our scientists will continue to scale greater heights and win more laurels for the country in the field of space exploration,” Ansari said.  

In her message commending the ISRO scientists, Congress president Sonia Gandhi said that the achievement would be a source for inspiration “for generations to come”.  

“India earns its admirable position in the world as one of the pioneering space exploring nations with Mangalyaan. It is a milestone in the journey that we as a nation envisaged after Independence,” said Gandhi.

She added that it was the “courage, passion and imagination” of the team of space scientists and researchers led by ISRO Chairman Dr K Radhakrishnan which had made the mission a success.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan lauded ISRO for its efforts and said it was a proud moment for India as it has become the first Asian nation to enter the Mars Orbit.

“Jai Hind. India is first Asian nation to enter Mars orbit, that too in first attempt. What more joy can our scientists @isro give. Respect,” Chouhan tweeted.  “Today was key to India's dream of being the first Asian nation to reach Mars orbit. I Wish @isro all the best for next stage of mission,” he added.

AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal, too, hailed the achievement as one of pride for India.

“Congratulations ISRO. What a proud moment for all Indians!!!!” he tweeted on the micro-blogging website.  

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi also congratulated the entire ‘Mangalyaan' team for this success.

Describing it a historic day for India, he said, “India becomes the first country to enter the Mars orbit on its first attempt. Congratulations to the Mangalyaan team and ISRO on this extraordinary achievement. May our space research community continue to push the boundaries and fire the imagination of a billion minds.

Meanwhile, even as he greeted ISRO, Congress General Secretary Digvijay Singh took a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as he wondered whether the Prime Minister believed the mission had been achieved in 100 days.  

“Congratulate all who have participated in the success of Mangalyaan Mission. Does Modi still believe that it has been achieved in 100 days?” was Singh's post on ‘twitter.com'.

The Prime Minister earlier complimented the Indian space scientists for making history.

Modi said that the odds were stacked against “us with only 21 of the 51 missions to Mars being successful”, but “we have prevailed.”

Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Ghulam Nabi Azad, said that putting the MOM into the Mar orbit was a “national accomplishment of global ramifications”.  

“It is the outcome of persistent hard work and enduring perseverance of our scientists,” Azad said, adding that MOM was an indigenous programme developed and successfully launched by ISRO.

“Our head bows to our talented scientists at ISRO for accomplishing this outstanding feat. We are proud of you,” the Congress leader added.

He said that while being an event to be celebrated by the nation, it was also a fitting reply to the politicians who keep claiming that nothing has happened in the country in the last 60 sixty years.

At 7.17 A.M., as its 440 Newton Liquid Apogee Motor (LAM) sizzled into life and burnt along with thrusters to slow down for its entry into the Red Planet's orbit, India's Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) achieved the historic feat of being the only such endeavour to have met with success on its maiden attempt.

Azad said that MOM is an end-to-end indigenous enterprise, developed and successfully launched by our illustrious scientists at ISRO, thus marking our entry into the select club of countries who have mastered such advance technologies.  

The Congress leader further said that India could achieve this unprecedented success in the first attempt which speaks volumes about the unmatched brilliance, remarkable abilities and unflinching commitment of our scientific community.  

He said after the recent success of PSLV- C23, MOM is another feather in the cap of ISRO, and the nation is waiting for the launch of GSLV scheduled for November/December ever since its experimental launch in January 2014.