---
title: "Chandrayaan-1: India's First Moon Mission | Model Diplomat"
description: "Chandrayaan-1 was India's first lunar mission, launched by ISRO in 2008 and credited with confirming lunar water—a frequent UPSC GS3 science and tech topic."
url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/chandrayaan-1"
---

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Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026

TL;DR

- Chandrayaan-1 was India's first lunar probe, launched by ISRO on 22 October 2008, which orbited the Moon and detected water molecules on its surface.
- Did Chandrayaan-1 land on the Moon?
- Who actually discovered water on the Moon during Chandrayaan-1?
- Why did the Chandrayaan-1 mission end early?
- How does Chandrayaan-1 differ from Chandrayaan-2 and Chandrayaan-3?

[Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services/glossary)Updated June 22, 2026

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## Timeline

1. 22 October 2008

   Chandrayaan-1 was India's first lunar probe, launched by ISRO on , which orbited the Moon and detected water molecules on its surface.

2. 15 August 2003

   The mission's origins trace to a 1999 proposal floated within the Indian Academy of Sciences and subsequently endorsed by the Astronautical Society of India,…

3. 8 November 2008

   On the craft executed Lunar Orbit Insertion, becoming captured by the Moon's gravity, and by mid-November it settled into a polar orbit of about 100 kilomet…

4. 14 November 2008

   On it released the Moon Impact Probe (MIP), which descended to strike near the lunar south pole close to Shackleton crater, planting an Indian flag painting…

5. 28 August 2009

   ISRO lost radio contact with Chandrayaan-1 on , ending the mission after roughly 312 days, short of its planned two-year life but after completing more than…

6. 23 August 2023

   Chandrayaan-2, launched in July 2019, attempted a soft landing with the Vikram lander and Pragyan rover but the lander crashed, though its orbiter remains op…

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Example

On 22 October 2008, ISRO launched Chandrayaan-1 aboard a PSLV-C11 from Sriharikota, and in September 2009 NASA's Moon Mineralogy Mapper aboard it confirmed water molecules on the lunar surface.

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