NEW DELHI – The news that the Mars orbiter spacecraft Mangalyaan, launched by India on November 5, has left the Earth’s orbit, traversed the moon, and is on course for its ultimate destination, 400 million kilometers (249 million miles) away, brought early holiday cheer to Indians. Space missions have become a matter of pride for India, which is already one of the top countries in terms of rocket and satellite technology.
新德里—印度11月5日发射的火星轨道飞行器Mangalyaan号已经离开地球轨道、穿过月球、直奔其4亿公里外的最终目标，这个消息给了即将迎来假期的印度人民一个大惊喜。空间任务已经成为印度人民引以为傲的成就，从火箭和卫星技术看，印度已跻身最先进国家行列。