[X] My Assistant

[Paolo]

according to the Chinese Xinhua press agency an Indian Mars probe may be launched in 2013 or 2015, after Chandrayaan-2
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-08/...nt_11972334.htm

[Explorer1]

Being in direct contact with India is probably a boon to operations; remaining in orbit to do checkouts/adjustments prior to the Mars trip has more benefits than just a smaller rocket, in terms of signal delay, familiar environment, etc.
Why doesn't this happened more often? Launch a probe into parking orbit when it's assembled, do checkouts and instrument commissioning at a leisurely pace, and burn with your final stage to interplanetary when the appropriate window opens up.

[mcaplinger]

Why doesn't this happened more often? Launch a probe into parking orbit when it's assembled, do checkouts and instrument commissioning at a leisurely pace...

Most interplanetary spacecraft are launched into a parking orbit, but they only stay in it for a few minutes before injection. AFAIK there are no delta V savings for the MOM mission profile, it's mostly because the spacecraft engine doesn't have enough thrust to do the injection in one burn.

As for checkout, there's plenty of time to do it in cruise, and it's not like you can go up and fix it if you stay in Earth orbit anyway.