---
title: "Mangalyaan (Mars Orbiter Mission): ISRO's Mars Probe"
description: "Mangalyaan, India's Mars Orbiter Mission, made India the first nation to reach Mars orbit on its first attempt, highlighting ISRO's capabilities."
url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/mangalyaan-mars-orbiter-mission"
---

[New](https://modeldiplomat.com/)

#

Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026

TL;DR

- Mangalyaan, India's Mars Orbiter Mission, was a 2013 ISRO spacecraft that made India the first nation to reach Mars orbit on its maiden attempt.
- Why was Mangalyaan considered a 'technology demonstrator' rather than a full science mission?
- How did Mangalyaan reach Mars so cheaply at about US$74 million?
- What is the difference between Mangalyaan and Chandrayaan?
- Is there a Mangalyaan-2, and what would it do?

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

Go beyond the definition

## Research Mangalyaan (Mars Orbiter Mission) like a delegate

Model Diplomat's AI drafts position papers, speeches, and country research with real sources — built for MUN and politics students.

## Timeline

1. 3 August 2012

   The mission was approved by the Union Cabinet on , with a sanctioned cost of ₹450 crore (approximately US$74 million), following the success of Chandrayaan-1…

2. 5 November 2013

   The spacecraft was launched on aboard a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle in its extended configuration, the PSLV-C25 (PSLV-XL).

3. 16 November 2013

   The orbiter was first placed in a highly elliptical Earth parking orbit, then raised through six successive perigee-burn manoeuvres of its onboard 440-newton…

4. 1 December 2013

   The Trans-Mars Injection burn on propelled the craft out of Earth's sphere of influence onto a roughly 300-day heliocentric transfer orbit toward Mars.

5. 24 September 2014

   Mars Orbit Insertion was executed on , when the Liquid Apogee Motor—dormant for nearly ten months—was reignited for about 24 minutes to decelerate the craft…

6. 22 September 2014

   At about US$74 million, Mangalyaan cost a fraction of NASA's contemporaneous MAVEN orbiter (roughly US$671 million), which entered Mars orbit just two days e…

## Research it like a delegate

Research on modeldiplomat.com

## Ask a follow-up about Mangalyaan (Mars Orbiter Mission)

Open a cited briefing in Model Diplomat search — timelines, positions, and sources you can use in committee or exam answers.

[Start research on Mangalyaan (Mars Orbiter Mission)](https://modeldiplomat.com/search?q=Explain%20Mangalyaan%20\(Mars%20Orbiter%20Mission\)%20%E2%80%94%20key%20dates%2C%20actors%2C%20positions%2C%20and%20sources)

Example

In September 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi watched from ISRO's Bengaluru control centre as Mangalyaan entered Mars orbit, making India the first country to reach the planet on its first attempt.

Keep learning

## Go deeper than the definition

[Explore all Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams lessons](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services)[Test yourself with a quiz](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/quiz/civil-services)

## Take Mangalyaan (Mars Orbiter Mission) beyond the glossary

Ask the AI research engine built for diplomacy — get briefings, position papers, and speeches with sources you can cite in committee.