What was the name of the first Indian lunar probe to orbit the Moon?

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The first Indian lunar probe to orbit the Moon was Chandrayaan-1.

The Indian Space Research Organisation launched Chandrayaan-1 on 22 October 2008 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre aboard a PSLV-XL rocket. It entered lunar orbit on 8 November, beginning India's first dedicated mission to the Moon.

The spacecraft carried an orbiter and the Moon Impact Probe, which was deliberately released and struck the lunar south-polar region on 14 November 2008. Chandrayaan-1 was designed to map the Moon's mineral composition and terrain, with special attention to possible water ice near the poles.

Although the mission lost contact after 312 days instead of operating for its planned two years, it achieved most of its primary objectives. Its instruments helped detect evidence of water molecules on the lunar surface. Chandrayaan-2 was a later mission, while Mangalyaan was India's Mars orbiter; Sputnik was a Soviet Earth-satellite program.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Sept. 2026

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