Step by step, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)'s Mars spacecraft has been getting closer to its mission. It has successfully been able to reach the apogee from 1, 18,642 km to 1, 92,874 km.

"The fifth orbit raising manoeuvre of Mars Orbiter Spacecraft, starting at 01:27 hrs (IST) Nov 16, with a burn time of 243.5 seconds has been successfully completed", said the ISRO.

Now, the last orbit-raising manoeuvre is remaining, which will take on December 1. After the completion of the same, the spacecraft will orbit around the earth for 300 days. It will do so in order to attain the needed push to go to the Mars.

It was on November 5 when the ISRO has launched the spacecraft by India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle. ISRO Chairman K. Radhakrishnan has stressed on the point that their main objective for now is to make sure that the spacecraft enter the Martian orbit.

With the help of the five instruments that the spacecraft has, it will explore number things like features of Mars surface, mineralogy and upper atmosphere.

As per the information provided by the ISRO, the spacecraft will reach on the Red Planet in September 2014. But before that it will be required to orbit the earth.