“Hey there, feeling lonely? Don’t worry MOM is here.”

In a span of 300 days, wherein I moved about merely a thousand kilometers, MOM traversed an incredible distance of 650 million kilometers; India created history on Sept 24, 2014 when MOM entered Mars’ orbit. All fingers, previously crossed were relieved of the strain. MOM never disappoints.

It’s definitely a proud moment for our country and countrymen. With a budget less than that of a Hollywood film and tenth of the NASA’s Mars mission Maven, it remains the cheapest mission so far. In doing so, ISRO succeeded in joining the ranks of Soviet space agency, NASA and ESA. Not only that, ISRO is the only one to achieve this feat in its maiden attempt.

Plus, for the Indian viewers, the remarkable event has brought a break in the humdrum squabble of the news channels about cricket, corruption, cinema and celebs etc. Not to forget the Indian scientists, who are usually put down by the reasoning – Why to fund a futile space exploration when one has millions of hungry mouths to feed – their efforts are ultimately being appreciated.

Let this landmark in Indian history drive us through even more challenging goals.

Jai Hind!

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