The Mars Orbiter Mission entered Martian orbit in 2014. What was notable about it?

India succeeded in reaching Mars orbit at the first attemptCorrect answerYour answerIt was the first mission to land on MarsCorrect answerYour answerIt was a joint mission with the European Space AgencyCorrect answerYour answerIt returned samples of Martian soilCorrect answerYour answer

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CorrectNot quiteAnswer A

Correct answer: A

The orbiter reached Mars in September 2014, at India's first attempt.
Most space programmes have failed at least once before reaching Mars, which is what makes a first-attempt success unusual.
It was an orbiter, so it neither landed nor returned anything — it observed from orbit.

Worth noting

Orbiter, lander, rover and sample-return are four different kinds of mission, and a question will often offer the wrong kind as its distractor. Mangalyaan orbited.

Concept: The Mars Orbiter Mission
Typical timeTypical: 50 s
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The rule this testsSpace and defence organisations

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The Mars Orbiter Mission entered Martian orbit in 2014. What was notable about it?

Explanation