Sriharikota: Up, up and away: Chandrayaan-1 is seen soon after the launch at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre. India became the sixth nation, after the US, Russia, European Space Agency, China and Japan, to send a mission to the moon. pic/ap
India's maiden moon spacecraft Chandrayaan-1 was put into Transfer Orbit around the earth today by the Polar Launch Vehicle PSLV-C11 about 19 minutes after it blasted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre.
Chief among the mission's goals is mapping not only the surface of the moon, but what lies beneath. Before today, only the US, Russia, the European Space Agency, Japan and China have sent missions to the moon.
The 1,380 kg Chandrayaan-1 was released into a Transfer Orbit 18.2 minutes after the PSLV-C11 blasted off as the scientists broke into jubiliation at the mission control centre.
After a series of procedures over the next two weeks, the spacecraft would reach its desired lunar orbit and placed at a height of 100 km from the lunar surface, marking the operational phase of the mission.
Chandrayaan-I is carrying an Indian flag which will be placed on the lunar surface when the Moon Impactor Probe lands on the moon.
This is the 14th flight of ISRO's workhorse PSLV, which had launched 29 satellites into a variety of orbits since 1993, and 13th successive one in a row.
Chandrayaan-1 is carrying 11 payloads, five designed and developed in India, three from European Space Agency, one from Bulgaria and two from US, which would explore the Moon over the next two years.
Space race in Asia
India joined what's shaping up as a 21st century space race with Chinese and Japanese crafts already in orbit around the moon. In the last year, Asian nations have taken the lead in exploring the moon. In October 2007, Japan sent up the Kaguya spacecraft. A month later, China's Chang'e-1 entered lunar orbit. Those missions took high resolution pictures of the moon, but aren;t as comprehensive as Chandrayaan-1 will be.
1.3 tonnes
The take-off weight of Chandrayaan. The rocket carries 11 payloads - five from India, two from the USA, and one each from Germany, Britain, Sweden and Bulgaria.
2 years
The duration of the mission during which Chandrayaan will orbit the moon. It plans to map a three-dimensional atlas of the moon and the surface's chemical and mineral composition
1,000
The number of scientists who have worked on the project for four years. India's constellation of seven earth-observation satellites is the largest in the world
2020
The year in which India plans to send a manned mission to the moon. The government has also approved the launch of Chandrayaan-2, which is expected to take of between 2010 and 2012
India's maiden moon spacecraft Chandrayaan-1 was put into Transfer Orbit around the earth today by the Polar Launch Vehicle PSLV-C11 about 19 minutes after it blasted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre.
Chief among the mission's goals is mapping not only the surface of the moon, but what lies beneath. Before today, only the US, Russia, the European Space Agency, Japan and China have sent missions to the moon.
The 1,380 kg Chandrayaan-1 was released into a Transfer Orbit 18.2 minutes after the PSLV-C11 blasted off as the scientists broke into jubiliation at the mission control centre.
After a series of procedures over the next two weeks, the spacecraft would reach its desired lunar orbit and placed at a height of 100 km from the lunar surface, marking the operational phase of the mission.
Chandrayaan-I is carrying an Indian flag which will be placed on the lunar surface when the Moon Impactor Probe lands on the moon.
This is the 14th flight of ISRO's workhorse PSLV, which had launched 29 satellites into a variety of orbits since 1993, and 13th successive one in a row.
Chandrayaan-1 is carrying 11 payloads, five designed and developed in India, three from European Space Agency, one from Bulgaria and two from US, which would explore the Moon over the next two years.
Space race in Asia
India joined what's shaping up as a 21st century space race with Chinese and Japanese crafts already in orbit around the moon. In the last year, Asian nations have taken the lead in exploring the moon. In October 2007, Japan sent up the Kaguya spacecraft. A month later, China's Chang'e-1 entered lunar orbit. Those missions took high resolution pictures of the moon, but aren;t as comprehensive as Chandrayaan-1 will be.
1.3 tonnes
The take-off weight of Chandrayaan. The rocket carries 11 payloads - five from India, two from the USA, and one each from Germany, Britain, Sweden and Bulgaria.
2 years
The duration of the mission during which Chandrayaan will orbit the moon. It plans to map a three-dimensional atlas of the moon and the surface's chemical and mineral composition
1,000
The number of scientists who have worked on the project for four years. India's constellation of seven earth-observation satellites is the largest in the world
2020
The year in which India plans to send a manned mission to the moon. The government has also approved the launch of Chandrayaan-2, which is expected to take of between 2010 and 2012
Source: www.mid-day.com
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