10 years of Mangalyaan launch: (November 5, 2013) This day in history
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Ten years back, on November 5, 2013, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched the Mars Orbiter Mission, affectionately called "Mangalyaan” from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. It was a significant achievement for India as it was the country's first interplanetary mission. The story of India’s Mangalyaan mission is a remarkable one.
The mission was first announced by the then ISRO Chairman G Madhavan Nair in 2008. A feasibility study was conducted in 2010 and government approval came in 2012. The mission was launched by a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) into a highly elliptical earth orbit.
Mangalyaan's primary goal was to explore Mars and study its atmosphere, surface, and mineralogy. The mission captured global attention for its cost-effectiveness, as it was notably less expensive than similar missions by other space agencies. The total estimated cost of the mission is US 71 million dollars as opposed to NASA’s Mars mission Maven that has an estimated cost of 671 million US dollars.
Despite the limited budget, ISRO's scientists and engineers successfully designed, launched, and inserted Mangalyaan into Mars' orbit on September 24, 2014. This made India the fourth space agency in the world to reach Mars and the first to do so on its maiden attempt.
The success of the Mangalyaan mission showcased India's capabilities in space exploration and marked a significant milestone in the country's space program. It also highlighted the importance of cost-effective space exploration and garnered international acclaim for ISRO's achievements in the field.