The unbelievably low cost of Mangalyaan owed to several factors.

On September 24 back in 2014, Mangalyaan or the Mars Orbiter Mission (launched on 5 November 2013 by ISRO), entered the Mars orbit, marking a historic moment for India. And as news of its success spread, the world took notice of how India, a developing nation, had managed to achieve something so significant and at such a low cost. Soon after, Prime Minister Narendra Modi famously remarked that the mission was “cheaper than an auto ride in India.” Now, is that really true? What do you think? As we mark 11 years since Mangalyaan’s arrival in the Martian orbit, let’s take a closer look.

Why Was It So Cost-Effective?

The mission cost just Rs 450 crore (about $74 million), a fraction of what other space agencies spent on similar projects. 

Several factors helped Mangalyaan keep its costs low:

The “module approach”: Instead of spreading the work over several years, ISRO scientists worked in a focused, time-bound manner. The mission was completed in about 18 months, compared to NASA’s MAVEN mission, which took over five years.

Simple design: Mangalyaan wasn’t overloaded with instruments. The payload weighed only about 15 kg (33 pounds), which reduced complexity and cost.

Made in India: Most of the parts and technologies, including the trusty PSLV launcher, were built domestically. This cut down on expensive imports.

Lower manpower costs: The salaries of scientists and engineers in India are significantly lower than in the U.S., Russia, or Europe.

India's Mars Orbiter Mission completes three years in orbit, well beyond the original planned duration of six months https://t.co/tC3qAUQI0A pic.twitter.com/23bH56GKrm

— Tech2 (@tech2eets) September 26, 2017

(Credit: Tech2)

And just like that, Mangalyaan’s cost was about one-ninth of NASA’s $671 million MAVEN mission, an extraordinary feat for a developing nation.

Cheaper Than Hollywood Films

The mission’s budget was so frugal that it became a fun point of comparison with big-ticket Hollywood productions.

Alfonso Cuarón’s Gravity (2013) cost around $100 million.

Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar (2014) had a budget of about $165 million.

Ridley Scott’s The Martian (2015), ironically about a man stranded on Mars, was made for $108 million.

In fact, several Indian blockbusters like RRR and Kalki 2898 AD were more expensive than Mangalyaan!

Cheaper Than An Auto Ride in India

Now this is where the story gets even more quirky. The Mars mission traveled roughly 650 million kilometers to reach its destination. If you break down the costs, it worked out to about Rs 7 per kilometer.

In comparison, an auto-rickshaw ride in an Indian city like Ahmedabad costs Rs 10 per kilometer. Referring to this, Prime Minister Narendra Modi joked, “A one-kilometer auto rickshaw ride in Ahmedabad costs Rs 10, and India reached Mars at Rs 7 per kilometer. Truly amazing.”

First Year data of Marse Orbiter Mission (MOM) Releasedhttps://t.co/H2qycDBEaP pic.twitter.com/pshCpccBSs

— ISRO (@isro) September 24, 2016

(Credit: ISRO)

Of course, the comparison was symbolic, but it captured global attention and surely made Mangalyaan a household name.

What Did Mangalyaan Discover?

Despite being a technology demonstrator, Mangalyaan produced some really fascinating scientific results.

1. Altitude Profiles of Argon in the Martian Exosphere

In December 2014, its MENCA instrument measured argon-40 in Mars’ upper atmosphere. It found that argon density peaked at around 5 x 10⁵/cm³ at an altitude of 250 km, with temperatures ranging from 275 K to over 400 K. This helped scientists understand the dynamics of Mars’ thin exosphere - the outermost layer of its atmosphere.

2. The Neutral Composition of Mars’ Evening Exosphere

Mangalyaan studied the presence of carbon dioxide, nitrogen, carbon monoxide, and atomic oxygen in the evening sky of Mars. Its findings showed how these particles change in density with altitude, giving valuable insights into the planet’s atmospheric behavior.

#ISROMissions

It's been four years since @MarsOrbiter successfully got inserted into Martian orbit on September 24, 2014 in its first attempt. #MOM's mission life was expected to be six months! So far, the Mars Colour Camera has acquired 980+ images. Mars Atlas is also ready. pic.twitter.com/z4GGkGvl0C

— ISRO (@isro) September 24, 2018

(Credit: ISRO)

3. Measuring Dust in Valles Marineris

Valles Marineris, the largest canyon system in the solar system, was another focus. Using its Mars Colour Camera, Mangalyaan measured atmospheric optical depth (AOD), essentially the thickness of dust and particles in the air.

On the northern wall of the canyon, AOD values ranged from 1.7 at the bottom to 1.0 at the top.

The green channel measured slightly higher values, up to 2.1, but also showed a steady decrease with altitude.

True-color image of Mars acquired by India's Mars Orbiter mission on October 10, 2014, from an altitude of 76000 km. Image Credit: ISRO / ISSDC / Justin Cowart pic.twitter.com/8WkabsmNDN

— Black Hole (@konstructivizm) October 30, 2024

(Credit: Black Hole)

These observations gave scientists a better understanding of Mars’ weather patterns and dust storms.

Interesting Facts About Mangalyaan

Technology demonstrator: Unlike MAVEN and other Mars missions, Mangalyaan wasn’t primarily a science mission. Its main goal was to prove that India could design, launch, and operate an interplanetary spacecraft.

Mission end: On October 2, 2022, the orbiter lost communication with Earth after a long eclipse period. ISRO declared the mission officially over the next day.

Bollywood tribute: The 2019 film Mission Mangal, starring Akshay Kumar and Vidya Balan, was loosely based on the mission and its scientists.