Chandrayaan-1, (Sanskrit: चंदयान-१, lit: Moon-vehicle[2][3] pronunciation

(help·info)) is India's first mission to the moon launched by India's national space agency
the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). The unmanned lunar exploration
mission includes a lunar orbiter and an impactor. India launched the spacecraft by a
modified version of the PSLV C11[1][4] on 22 October 2008 from Satish Dhawan Space
Centre, Sriharikota, Nellore District, Andhra Pradesh about 80 km north of Chennai at
06:22 IST (00:52 UTC).[5]The mission is a major boost to India's space program, as India
joins Asian nations China and Japan in exploring the Moon.[6] The vehicle was
successfully inserted into lunar orbit on 8 November 2008.[7]

On November 14, 2008, the Moon Impact Probe successfully separated from the moon-
orbiting Chandrayaan at 20:06 and descended towards the lunar south pole in a controlled
manner making India the fourth country to land its flag on the Moon.[8] The MIP
impacted Shackleton Crater, of the lunar south pole, at 20:31 on 14 November 2008
releasing subsurface debris that could be analyzed for presence of water ice.[9]

The estimated cost for the project is Rs. 386 crore (US$ 80 million).[10]

The remote sensing lunar satellite had a mass of 1,380 kilograms (3,042 lb) at launch and
675 kilograms (1,488 lb) in lunar orbit [11] and carries high resolution remote sensing
equipment for visible, near infrared, and soft and hard X-ray frequencies. Over a two-
year period, it is intended to survey the lunar surface to produce a complete map of its
chemical characteristics and 3-dimensional topography. The polar regions are of special
interest, as they might contain ice.[12] The lunar mission carries five ISRO payloads and
six payloads from other international space agencies including NASA, ESA, and the
Bulgarian Aerospace Agency, which were carried free of cost.[13]