Bengaluru: A documentary on the saga of Indian Mars mission will premiere on Thursday on the National Geographic channel, the American digital cable and satellite television network said.
“Millions of Indians can watch ‘live’ the Mars Oribter Mission, the country’s first inter-planetary mission that was launched on November 5, 2013 and entered the red planet’s orbit on September 14, 2014 in a maiden attempt,” the channel said in a statement here on tuesday.
The hour-long programme to be telecast at 9 p.m. in English and Hindi with regional languages option will be repeated over the next 24 hours for maximum viewership, as it contains live action visuals, graphic representations and expert interviews.
“The documentary features all the drama, excitement, last minute preparations, countdown and the successful launch,” FOX international channels (India) business head Swati Mohan said in the statement. The documentary was made with the cooperation of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), which undertook the historic mission.
“It was a proud moment for our team and the entire country, when the Orbiter entered the Martian orbit. National Geographic channel has partnered with us to showcase this historic journey and the science and technology behind it,” said ISRO chairman A.S. Kiran Kumar.
The special film will also simplify the science behind the landmark mission, while experts explain nuances of the technology and demonstrate the nature of the inter-planetary mission.
“It has been our tradition to be the first to document all historic space exploration achievements through innovative programming,” Mohan added.
In the recent past, the channel covered the Rosetta probe landing on a comet, and the New Horizons flyby of Pluto (Mission Pluto).
IANS