SRIHARIKOTA (India), October 22 (RIA Novosti) - India launched its first unmanned mission to the moon on Wednesday, becoming the third Asian country to do so after Japan and China. Chandrayaan-1 was carried into space by the Indian-built PSLV-C11 rocket, and will take 15 days to reach the moon. Chandrayaan means "Moon Craft" in ancient Sanskrit.
The lunar mission signifies India's breakthrough into the club of leading space powers, and the liftoff was broadcast live on television across the country.
"This is a historic moment for India," said Madhavan Nair, the head of the Indian Space Research Organization.
The 1,304-kg spacecraft is equipped with 10 scientific instruments to study the moon from a 100-km orbit, and one probe that will slam into the lunar surface hoping to uncover signs of Helium 3, an isotope that may fuel energy generation from nuclear fusion in the future.
Five of the instruments were built in India, while the other six were the result of cooperation with Europe and the United States.
The remote-sensing satellite will create a detailed three-dimensional map of the lunar surface and investigate its chemical composition. The primary goal is the discovery of water, along with magnesium, aluminum, silicon and titanium, and the radioactive elements radon, uranium and thorium.
