Till now ISRO has developed fve launch vehicles(SLV-3,ASLV,PSLV,GSLV and LVM3 which isalso known as GSLV Mk-III)andmasteredthetechnology of rockets that use solid, liquid as well ascryogenicpropellants(fuel-oxidiser combination). Manyofoursatellitesandspacecraft werelaunchedbyourownPolar SatelliteLaunchVehicle(PSLV)and Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV).TheseincludeChandrayaan-1 andMarsOrbiterSpacecraft,which were passengers on-board PSLV. Infact,PSLVhaslaunchedmore foreign satellites than Indian ones. This indicatestheconfdencetheoutside worldhasinPSLV.DuringOctober 1994-April2015period,PSLVhas scored 28 successes without a break!OnemajormilestoneoftheIndian spaceprogrammeoccurredon January05,2014.Onthatday,the mightyGSLV,standingastallasa seventeenstoreybuilding,roaredinto the sky from the Satish Dhawan Space CentreatSriharikotaisland,whichis thespaceportofIndia.Inthatfight, GSLVsthirdstagewasacryogenic rocketstagedevelopedbyISRO.It usedsupercooledrocketpropellants. Some18minutesafterthelaunch, GSLVplacedtheGSAT-14satellitein the intended orbit very accurately.Acryogenicrocketstage,though extremelycomplex,worksvery effciently. With this success of GSLV, ISROsmasteryofrockettechnology was quite complete.Now,ISROhastakenupmanymore challengingtasksforthefuture.This includesthedevelopmentofLVM3 (GSLV Mk-III), which is more effcient and capable than the GSLV. GSLV equipped with indigenously developed Cryogenic Upper Stage Magnifciently lifts-offLVM3-X Lift-off10Thefrstexperimentalfight ofLVM3wasconducted successfullyonDecember18, 2014fromSriharikota.Inthat fight(LVM3-X),onlythetwo largesolidrocketboostersas well as the liquid core (central) stageofthevehiclewere successfullytested.Thethird (cryogenic)stagewhichisstill being developed, was not tested. LVM3carriedthe3,775kg CrewModuleAtmospheric Re-entryExperiment(CARE) toaheightof126kminthat fight. After that, CARE module successfullyre-enteredthe Earthsatmosphereandsafely landedoverAndamanSeawith the help of its parachutes.Any major effort undertaken should have a very clear goal or a set of objectives. Throughout human history, we see many examples of this. In the space feld, this becomesverycrucialbecauseofthecareful planningrequiredtoallocatethenecessary humanskillandmoneytorealisethegoal with split second accuracy. The unimaginable speeds achieved andthetemperature,forces andrisksexperiencedduringthe journeyofarocketandasatellite inspacemakethisinevitable.Thus, onlyafewcountriesaresuccessful inmasteringvarioustechnologies necessary for spacefight. It is a matter of pride that India is one of them.ThemainobjectiveorgoalofMars OrbiterMission(MOM)isthe demonstrationofIndiascapabilityto buildaspacecraftcapableoftravellingto Marsandsurviveinanorbitaroundthered planet.Thus,themaingoalofMOMismainly technological.But that does not mean MOM does not have any scientifc objectives.Themissionalsointendedtogatheruseful scientifc data about that planet during the spacecrafts journey to Mars, and more importantly, from a suitable orbit around that planet later. Mars Orbiter Mission: Clear-cut Objectives, Tough ChallengesYou see, I have well defned goals,which are already realised! 11The scientifc data which is now being collected, is about the surface of Mars, its very thin atmosphere as well as the space near Mars.ThecostofMarsOrbiterMissionwasestimatedto beabout450croreIndianRupees(about80million American Dollars).Thespacecraftbuiltforrealising MarsOrbiterMissionisknownas Mars Orbiter Spacecraft.Comparedtomanyotherunmanned spacecraftthathaveexploredMarsinthe past,thegoalsofIndiasMarsOrbiter Spacecraftlookquitemodest.But, considering the innumerable diffculties involvedinlaunchingaspacecraft towardsanotherplanet,aswellas Indias lack of prior experience in thisregard,thechallengesthat confrontedISROscientists were very tough indeed.Nevertheless,thesuccessful entryofMarsOrbiter Spacecraftintoaplanned orbitaroundMarson September24,2014glaringly demonstratedthecapabilityof Indias space scientists and engineers totheoutsideworld.Afterthat, thespacecraftsuccessfullycompleted sixmonthsinitsMarsorbit.Thisindicated thetotalrealisationoftheprimaryobjectiveof Mars Orbiter Mission. InthehistoryofMarsexploration,Indiaistheonly country to achieve total success in its very frst attempt itself!