On November 5, 2013, India launched its Mars Orbiter Mission (Mangalyaan), marking a significant achievement in space exploration. This mission is notable not only for its scientific goals but also for its remarkably low budget, which has been compared to the production costs of Hollywood films.

“I have said it in the past too, the amount our scientists have spent on this mission is even less than what they spend in making Hollywood movies,” PM Modi had said in his televised addressed to the mission scientists.

“We have prevailed, not everyone gets success in their missions... we got it in our very first attempt. ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) put out this spacecraft in a record time of only three years, every Indian is proud of you,” PM Modi also remarked at Master Control Facility at SHAR, India's premier spaceport.

Here is a breakdown of successful and failed attempts:

US: 15 successful attempts, 4 failures
Soviet Russia: 2 successful attempts, 14 failures
Russia: 2 failures
European Space Agency: 1 success
Japan: 1 failure
India: 1 success

Mangalyaan was developed with a budget of approximately $72 million (around ₹450 crore), making it the most affordable Mars mission ever undertaken. This cost is significantly lower than that of many Hollywood films, including the James Bond film "No Time to Die," which had a production budget of about $300 million, and even lower than the estimated $100 million budget for the movie "Gravity" .

Launched on November 5, 2013, Mangalyaan successfully entered Mars' orbit on September 24, 2014, becoming the first Asian spacecraft to do so and the first in the world to achieve this on its maiden attempt. The mission aimed to study various aspects of Mars, including its atmosphere and surface features, using five scientific instruments onboard .

The success of Mangalyaan has elevated India's status within the global space community, showcasing the Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) ability to conduct high-quality space missions at a fraction of the cost typically associated with such endeavours. This achievement has garnered respect from other leading space agencies around the world .

Following Mangalyaan's success, ISRO is planning a follow-up mission, Mangalyaan-2, which aims to further explore Martian geology and atmosphere. The legacy of this mission continues to inspire advancements in India's space exploration efforts .

Mangalyaan's launch on this day not only demonstrated India's capabilities in space technology but also highlighted how innovative approaches can lead to significant achievements in interplanetary exploration at a minimal cost.