London: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is reportedly going to launch a spacecraft to Mars in a move to strengthen its space race with China.
ISRO is said to have planning to set out "Mangalyaan" to test the capability of India`s space technology to carry out interplanetary missions, the BBC reports.
Since a Chinese attempt to send a spacecraft to Mars was aborted because of a technical problem in 2011, the Indian space agency fast-tracked its Mars mission.
The spacecraft will also collect scientific information about the planet`s atmosphere and surface, the report added.
The Mangalyaan probe was set to launch on 28 October, but rough weather condition in the Pacific delayed the process by a week.
If the mission succeeds, ISRO will become the fourth space agency, after those in the U.S., Europe and Russia to have successfully sent a spacecraft to Mars.
