India celebrates @MarsOrbiter reaching Mars

In a year full of nation-building moments, India celebrates another one, this time from space. @ISRO’s Mars Mission (@MarsOrbiter) entered the Martian orbit this morning, and moments later, also made its Twitter debut. It sent its first Tweet at 8:14 AM local time, immediately after the mission was declared a success by @ISRO.

@MarsOrbiter immediately became a runaway hit, gaining over 55,000 followers within hours. In a tone that was at once funny and conversational, the @MarsOrbiter exhibited personality and verve.

ISRO’s @MarsOrbiter achievement was also feted on Twitter by @NASA and its Mars Mission (@MAVEN2Mars).

But it was this #OnlyOnTwitter exchange between @MarsCuriosity and @MarsOrbiter that was an interstellar hit with over 15,000 Retweets between them!

Earlier in the day, @ISRO live-Tweeted every twist and turn in the run up to the Mission entering the Martian orbit, with the whole country riveted to the drama playing out in real time on Twitter.

The success of @MarsOrbiter converged as a public celebration on Twitter, led by Prime Minister @NarendraModi, President of India @RashtrapatiBhvn and superstar @SrBachchan.

Even as @MarsOrbiter settles into the Martian orbit, @ISRO celebrates the historical significance of this mission with congratulatory Tweets pouring in from all over.

The mission is not only a hit in space, but also on Twitter where the top three trending topics this morning were based on the national achievement of @MarsOrbiter, including #Mangalyaan, #MarsMission and #IndiaAtMars. This Reverb chart (click below to play) shows the spike in Twitter conversations when @MarsOrbiter reached Mars, as well as ongoing discussions and congratulatory Tweets in the hours after making orbit.

As India takes its place in an exclusive club of nations that have reached Mars, Indians are also proudly celebrating history in the making with @MarsOrbiter being the first orbiter to reach Mars on its first try and also the first orbiter from an Asian nation to reach the red planet.

Follow @MarsOrbiter and @ISRO for the latest mission updates and scientific discoveries of Mars in the days and months ahead.