The engines of the Indian Mars orbiter were tested for the first time on Monday morning. Speaking to TOI from Bangalore, Isro chief spokesperson Devi Prasad Karnik said the engine, known as the liquid apogee motor (LAM), was fired for about 670 seconds at Isro’s Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre at Mahendra Giri in Tamil Nadu. “The test was successful and will go on for about 45 days,” he said.
The mission is slated for lift off towards the end of October or beginning of November 2013.