At ₹7 a km, Mangalyaan's ride was cheaper than an auto
India's maiden Mars mission Mangalyaan incurred a cost of ₹7 per kilometre in covering the 65 crore km distance to the red planet, making it cheaper than an auto ride, PM Modi said in 2014. India is also the first Asian country to reach the Mars orbit, ahead of China and Japan. Mangalyaan was launched on November 5, 2013.