India Claims it has the Capability to Send Spacecraft to Mars

In an article released today, The Economic Times reported that India now has the capability to send a spacecraft to Mars. The mission will cost approximately Rs 500 crore. The Minister of the State in the Prime Minister's office, Prithviraj Chavan said sending a spacecraft to Mars will help them to understand the evolution of the planet. They want to study the atmosphere and the ionosphere. It would also help in studying dust storms, magnetic field and the plasma environment surrounding Mars, surface topography, interaction of solar radiation and particles with the Red Planet, composition, and distribution of water and ice. In the ensuing months, the world will see if India truly has this capability.