India's Mars Orbiter Mission

Witness History

In 2014, India’s Mars Orbiter Mission meant the country was the first in the world to successfully place a satellite into orbit around Mars on its initial attempt.

The mission, named Mangalyaan, was one of the cheapest interplanetary missions ever. It cost less than a Hollywood film.

Indian scientist, Dr Mylswamy Annadurai, also known as ‘moon man of India,’ was programme director for the mission. He tells Gill Kearsley about this momentous event.

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(Photo: The control centre for India’s Mars Orbiter Mission. Credit: Pallava Bagla/Corbis via Getty Images)