In the context of Indian space research, which of the following was India's first interplanetary mission, designed to travel from Earth and enter the orbit of another planet in the solar system?

Introduction / Context:
India has launched several important space missions through the Indian Space Research Organisation, but not all of them are interplanetary missions. An interplanetary mission is one that travels from the orbit of Earth to the vicinity or orbit of another planet. This question tests your awareness of India's first successful attempt to send a spacecraft to another planet in our solar system, a major milestone in the country's space programme and a point of national pride.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• We are asked about India's first interplanetary mission.
• Interplanetary means travelling beyond the Earth Moon system to another planet's neighbourhood or orbit.
• Chandrayaan Mission is India's lunar mission, which travels to the Moon, not to another planet.
• Aryabhatta was India's first satellite launched into Earth orbit.
• Philae was a lander associated with a European Space Agency mission, not an Indian mission.
• Mangalyaan, also called the Mars Orbiter Mission, was sent toward Mars.

Concept / Approach:
To answer this question correctly, it is important to distinguish between Earth orbiting satellites, lunar missions and true interplanetary missions. Earth orbiting missions circle the Earth. Lunar missions travel to the Moon, which is Earth's natural satellite and still considered within the Earth Moon system. Interplanetary missions go to other planets such as Mars, Venus or beyond. India's Mars Orbiter Mission, popularly known as Mangalyaan, was launched to Mars and successfully entered Mars orbit. This achievement made India one of the few countries to reach Mars and is recognised as the country's first interplanetary mission. Chandrayaan went to the Moon, and Aryabhatta went into Earth orbit, while Philae is a European lander on a comet.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify which missions in the options are Indian missions and which are not. Chandrayaan, Mangalyaan and Aryabhatta are Indian, while Philae is European. Step 2: Classify each Indian mission by its destination. Aryabhatta was an Earth orbiting satellite. Chandrayaan was a mission to the Moon. Mangalyaan was a mission to Mars. Step 3: Recall that interplanetary missions are those that go from Earth to another planet, such as Mars, not to the Moon. Step 4: Recognise that the Mars Orbiter Mission, Mangalyaan, travelled to Mars and successfully entered its orbit, making it an interplanetary mission. Step 5: Conclude that Mangalyaan Mission (Mars Orbiter Mission) is India's first interplanetary mission and therefore select it as the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
Official sources and news reports about India's Mars Orbiter Mission highlight that it was the country's first interplanetary mission. They emphasise that it was launched with the goal of studying Mars from orbit and that it made India the first Asian country to reach Mars orbit and the first in the world to do so on its very first attempt. Chandrayaan missions are consistently described as lunar missions, focusing on exploring the Moon's surface and exosphere. Aryabhatta is always described as the first Indian satellite in Earth orbit. Philae is credited as a part of the European Rosetta mission to a comet and is not related to India at all. These details confirm that Mangalyaan is the correct and only answer that fits the definition of India's first interplanetary mission.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option a, Chandrayaan Mission, refers to India's lunar mission to the Moon, which is not a planet and therefore does not qualify as an interplanetary mission.

Option c, Aryabhatta Mission, was India's first Earth orbiting satellite and remained in orbit around the Earth, so it is not interplanetary.

Option d, Philae Mission, is not an Indian mission at all. Philae was a lander operated by the European Space Agency as part of the Rosetta mission to a comet.

Common Pitfalls:
Learners sometimes confuse the term interplanetary with any mission that leaves the Earth, including lunar missions. They may incorrectly think that the first mission beyond Earth, such as Aryabhatta or Chandrayaan, must also be the first interplanetary mission. The key is to remember that the Moon is not a planet and that interplanetary missions go specifically to other planets like Mars or Venus. Keeping a simple list in mind, with Aryabhatta as the first satellite, Chandrayaan as the lunar mission and Mangalyaan as the Mars mission, helps to avoid this confusion in examination questions.

Final Answer:
India's first interplanetary mission was the Mangalyaan Mission (Mars Orbiter Mission).