There was much excitement in India yesterday when that country’s first effort to send an orbiter to Mars succeeded.
Analysts say the craft, nicknamed MOM, will do as much to boost the stature of Indian scientists and engineers as it will for gathering data on the red planet.
Only 21 of 51 efforts to reach Mars by various countries have been successful. But our astronomy contributor, Jean Creighton, tells Lake Effect’s Bonnie North that we’ve actually been exploring the planet for a half-century.