Oceansat-2 and nano satellites inside the heat-shield of the PSLV-C 14. Photo: ISRO

They were received at National Remote Sensing Centre’s(NRSC) Earth Station at Shadnagar at 12.40 p.m. The images showing ocean features and cloud formation were “very good.” The data were processed at the Earth Station and the product was later made available to the users, according to NRSC sources.

In midst of all the threat from terrorists and other anti national forces, India is all set to launch a Spy Satellite into orbit.

The satellite to be launched by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) would primarily keep an eye on India’s borders round-the-clock.The 300-kg radar-imaging spy satellite, which is built by Israel, will be launched on April 20. It is set to blast-off with India’s home-grown rocket ‘Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) onboard.

The satellite will be positioned 550 km above the earth, this remote-sensing advanced imaging satellite, has all-weather capabilities, including under cloud cover, a capability that Indian satellites do not have.

The spy satellite, which will primarily be used for used for defense and surveillance, would carry Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) payload, which can take images during day and night.

After being cleared by the Government of India five years ago, and after repeated delays, Chandrayaan-1 is finally ready for launch on October 22, 2008. If the weather conditions are not favorable, the Chandrayaan-1 late October 2008 launch will be postponed to November or December 2008 when the orbital plane of the moon will again be aligned for a fuel efficient transfer.

Chandrayaan-1 was built by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) along with partners such as HAL and carries 11 payloads, five from India and six from International agencies. This includes three from the European Space Agency (ESA) , one from the Bulgarian Aerospace Agency (BSA), and two from NASA.

Chandrayaan-1: Launch Details

The Chandrayaan-1 mission includes an Orbiter and an Impactor. This means that the Orbiter of Chandrayaan-1 will enter a low orbit around the Moon; while the Impactor will be deliberately crashed onto the Moon. Chandrayaan-1’s impactor, aptly called the Moon Impact probe (MIP), was designed by ISRO, and contains three instruments: a high resolution mass spectrometer, an S-Band altimeter, and a video camera.

While it may seem to be reckless as well as a waste of resources, a impactor can provide a lot of useful information. On impacting the moon at over 7000 km/h, it will blow up a giant plume, which can even be observed from the earth, and analysed to find its composition.

Chandrayaan-1 will weigh 1304 kg at launch and 590kg in lunar orbit.

Chandrayaan-1 will be launched by a PSLV-XL, which is a modified, pumped-up version of the ISRO’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) from Satish Dhawan Space Centre ( SDSC), Sriharikota, India.

Chandrayaan-1 has four stages. The first stage is one of the largest solid propellant boosters built containing 138 metric tonnes of propellant binded in HTPB, which is a rubber-like material. This is the same propellant that was used as fuel in the hybrid rocket engines of SpaceShipOne.

The launch vehicle will put Chandrayaan-1 into a highly elliptical earth orbit with an apogee (point in orbit farthest from Earth) of 24000 km and Perigee (point of closest approach to Earth) of 240 km. Then the Chandrayaan-1 will do a mid-course correction burn that will put it on a Lunar Transfer Trajectory. Lunar encounter happens after a five-and-a-half day cruise of nearly 3,86,000 km through space.

Chandrayaan-1 then points its engine towards its direction of travel, and a little before reaching peri-selene (point closest to moon), burns its engines to perform Lunar Orbit Insertion (LOI). This effectively slows down the Chandrayaan-1 enough to let it get captured by the Moon’s gravity. Chandrayaan-1 thus reaches a near circular lunar orbit, around 100km from its surface. This orbit will effectively be nearly in the plane of the moon’s equator.

After successful orbit capture and health checks, Chandrayaan-1 performs another series of correction burns called Plane Change Maneuvers, to enter into a circular polar orbit ( passing above poles rather than around the equation ) around the moon.

Chandrayaan-1: Mission Details and Objectives

The main mission objectives of Chandrayaan-1 are:

1. To conduct high resolution 3D mapping of the topographic features of the entire surface of the moon as well as the distribution of various elements  and minerals on the moon, including radioactive nuclides. This new data, collected by Chandrayaan-1, could help solve mysteries about the origin and evolution of the solar system in general and the moon in particular.
2. High-resolution chemical and mineralogical imaging of the permanently shadowed north and south polar regions
3. Search for presence of sub-surface water ice at the poles
4. To map the height variation of the lunar surface features along the surface track of the Chandrayaan-1’s orbit
5. Stereographic coverage of the lunar surface with 5m resolution
6. Detection of outgassing of radioactive elements such as Uranium, Thorium, Lead-210, Radon-222

International scientific community support for Chandrayaan -1 and reactions

NASA has provided a low power imaging radar to Chandrayaan-1. This will be used to identify regions of interest (mostly water-ice-laden polar regions) for a future lunar base. These regions will later be investigated in detail by NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter.

Each foreign instrument would have an Indian scientist attached as co-investigator and they would have to share the data with India. But the data gathered by the Indian instruments would belong to India for an year.

According to an understanding in the international scientific community, the agency conducting the research has first claim on the data and it has to use it in the first year for its research. After that, the data comes into the public domain and is accessible to all.

The scientific information gathered by the instrument and relayed to the earth will be first received at the National Science Data Centre through the Deep Space Network Station established at Bangalore, India, to support spacecraft orbiting the moon.

Listed as one of the highly-anticipated science and technology breakthroughs of the world, Chandrayaan – I would mark the World’s return return to the moon. Chandrayaan-1 follows recent missions to the moon from Japan and China. Its launch would be followed by the renewed US ( Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter in March 2009 ) and Russian ( Luna-Glob in 2009 ) missions.

Each foreign instrument would have an Indian scientist attached as co-investigator and they would have to share the data with India. But the data gathered by the Indian instruments would belong to India for an year.

According to an understanding in the international scientific community, the agency conducting the research has first claim on the data and it has to use it in the first year for its research. After that, the data comes into the public domain and is accessible to all.

The scientific information gathered by the instrument and relayed to the earth will be first received at the National Science Data Centre through the Deep Space Network Station established at Bangalore, India, to support spacecraft orbiting the moon.

Listed as one of the highly-anticipated science and technology breakthroughs of the world, Chandrayaan – I would mark the World’s return return to the moon. Chandrayaan-1 follows recent missions to the moon from Japan and China. Its launch would be followed by the renewed US ( Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter in March 2009 ) and Russian ( Luna-Glob in 2009 ) missions.

An article by the South Asia Analysis Group has described the Chandrayaan-1 ascent as “one of the touchstones of an India ascendant; an India that has emerged from Her chrysalis. Its time for India to spread Her wings and explore new trajectories. Its time for us Indians to step out of our infinitesimal blue & brown pebble and step into the cerulean infinity.”

History of Lunar Exploration

Now for a bit of history. The last manned mission to the moon was Apollo 17 that lifted off from Taurus-Littrow on December 14, 1972. The next manned lunar landing is tentatively scheduled to occur in 2019 with Orion 15 mission.

The last unmanned rover to successfully land on the moon was the Soviet Luna-24, which touched down on the lunar surface on August 18, 1976. To date, it remains the last probe by any country to soft-land on the moon. The latest orbiting missions that are still going on are China’s Chang’e-1 and Japan’s (JAXA) Kaguya/SELENE.

Both the orbiters are still working and sending back valuable data and imagery. SELENE also imaged the Apollo 15 landing site in 3D and it turned out to be exactly the same as the photos taken back in the 1970’s. Take that, moon hoax nutters!

Future Explorations: AVATAR and Chandrayaan -2

India has very ambitious plans for space exploration. India hasn’t had a crewed flight so far. ISRO submitted a report to the government in 2006 and has recieved Rs. 50 crores in funding for pre-project initiatives. A crewed flight is targeted for 2015, with a completely autonomous two-person capsule launched by the GSLV. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is also developing a hypersonic spaceplane that will be able to launch from the ground, gather oxygen from air, boost into orbit, then re-enter and land like a normal airplane. The vehicle is named AVATAR.

As for robotic missions, the Cabinet has already cleared Chandrayaan – 2. This will be a rover plus orbiter. India has already signed agreements with the Russian Space Agency (RosKosmos) to work on Chandrayaan – 2. The rover will move around on the surface similar to NASA’s Mars Exploration Rovers and send data to the orbiting spacecraft.

Mars Exploration Plans

India has ambitious plans for Mars. India is working on a small Mars orbiter to be launched as early as 2013, on GSLV. The spacecraft, costing about  Rs 384 crores excluding the booster, would carry instruments to research the Martian atmosphere and sub surface, possibly including a radar. The mission is probably more significant at this point in that India is planning to do it, rather than what scientifically it is planning to do. India joins China as an Asian nation defining new Mars exploration. China is completing agreements with Russia on a small Chinese sub-satellite that would be deployed into Martian orbit from Russia’s mission to land a sample return mission on Phobos, a Martian moon. That mission will be launched in 2009. ISRO also has plans to send orbiters to asteroids and comets by 2015.

Indian Space Research Organisation scientists are now developing next generation hi-tech Launch Vehicles or  Rockets for heavy satellites. This project will cut the cost of launching satellites by more than half the present.

This year, we will see series of tests and research works on GSLV Mark III. GSLV Mark III is said to completed by 2010-2011. The present GSLV can put only 2.2 tonnes of payloads into space. But, Mark III can put upto 4 tonnes of payloads into space. This will help Antrix Corporation (ISRO’s commercial wing) to offer the cheapest space launches in the world.

Mr. K Radhakrishnan, Director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, said that ISRO is going to test the solid booster, followed by liquid stage and cryogenic engine will be tested this year. He also said that they are planning to conduct a test flight by 2010 or 2011. Radhakrishnan said ISRO will be able to pack more transponders in one space flight. “This makes it a cost effective solution and will give us a niche in the world in launching four tonne satellites,” he said.

GSLV is also planning to apply Mark III for human space missions. But, as far as the mission in 2015 is concerned, normal GSLV will be used which will put 2 Indians into space. But, GSLV Mark III has the capacity to put 3 astronauts at the same mission.

The first Indian lunar probe the Chandrayaan I (in sanskrit, संस्कृतम् Chandra = moon ; Yaan = Vehicle . So, literally it means moon craft) beamed back its first pictures of the earth that it took as the ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization) has been testing the cameras on Chandrayaan.

The terrain mapping camera aboard Chandrayaan, which is a black and white imager, had been turned on for testing. It relayed back two test images, one taken at a height of 3,000 km and the other at a height if 70,000 km. The Pictures can be found and viewed in higher resolution here.

Update (15 November): Chandrayaan has now started sending pictures from the Moon,  this post was written only for the pictures sent back of the Earth while testing the terrain mapping camera. Find them at the end of this post.

[Pictures of home never grow old ]

Click to Enlarge

The Chandrayaan was launched on the 22nd of October by India’s old warhorse the PSLV (C11) into an initial elliptical orbit around the Earth. Like many I was skeptical about the logic for such a mission when it was announced a few years ago. I just thought there was no real logic in doing an exercise that would essentially be a re-invention of the wheel. Over time my view refined by more information about it has changed. I will come back to this in just about a while.

Ofcourse one would say anything to do with space research is a show of a countries growing economic clout and it commands immediate respect. True, but that is not why I think it is not a futile exercise.

Inexpensive, So why not do it? Some argue that though India is growing rapidly and is projected to over take many major European economic powerhouses by 2015-2020 (It is already ahead of them in PPP terms though still has a long way to go in nominal GDP terms) and countries like Japan by the 2030-35, it still has a lot of people under the poverty line and the standard of living remains low. So it is only a waste of money. Well, the Chandrayaan I only cost $80 million, the cheapest moon mission of comparable scales by far. And this much money is meager when you look at an elephant like economy really (to give you an idea, the Boeing 747-8 costs US$285.5-300 million according to 2007 prices. So the mission that way cost nothing really, so the whole talk about India wasting money has very little ground.

To Avoid a Possible Space Apartheid: The NPT is always billed as an unfair treaty by three nations that refuse to sign it – India, Israel and Pakistan. Their argument being that the provision of the treaty that allows the countries that made atomic weapons before 1967 to keep weapons, and to continue their development and to disallow and to impose sanctions on countries that try to develop weapons later is unfair, and there is no reason stated why such a distinction is made. India has advocated disarmament as a complete solution.

Anyway, I have always thought that an international agency should hold a minimum number of weapons and all the other countries should give up their nuclear weapons over time. This reserve should be kept only for a very unlikely doomsday scenario in the future that might require mankind (stress added) to intercept a comet on collision path towards the Earth with an Orion like super missile. This is extremely unlikely, but one can never totally rule out the chance even in a medium term time vector.

Coming back, if in a similar manner, in the medium term future there is a possibility of some select countries to set up a base on Mars or on the Moon, then it is possible that countries who made a mark in space till a specific date might only get to join. And it might just end up being like the NPT. So making a mark is a wise thing to do. Though again this is a sort of an outlandish argument.

Now coming back to the main argument that was it worth it to send a mission that is like doing boldly what others have done before. What new is left on the moon to be looked at, absolutely nothing? I think it is not something like that, and it is definitely worth it. Let’s get a sense of history first to see why.

A Little History: The Moon always has been an object of wonder since the stone age man. Many rock paintings have featured the moon. Over the ages people have looked up with amazement on what it was and what was on it. Most religious beliefs accorded it to be an immutable creation of God and some gave the Moon the status of god.

This notion was first challenged in recorded history by the observations of the Canterbury Monks in 1178 (June 18), who recorded an explosion on the moon, which was in recent times confirmed as a comet striking the moon. By the middle ages it was fairly recognized that the moon was a sphere though mostly it was held that it had a smooth surface. The heretic Galileo Galilei was the first to draw images of the moon that challenged this view. Clearly, the telescope was the first giant leap in the exploration of the moon. Over time it was recognized that the moon had a surface as terrestrial as on Earth and that there was nothing heavenly about the moon. For some centuries for the want of tools, there continued to be speculations about the nature of moon and life on it.

Speculations are always a part of any space exploration or thought process, they only aid in further development of tools to explore them, the present one being speculations (though more studied and calculated than the ones we had 500 years ago ofcourse)  about water or He3 on the moon. The absence of tools gave rise to wild speculations like in the great moon hoax of 1835 a number of people were led to believe that there were strange beings living on the moon.

The era of modern exploration of the moon began with the Luna 1 (also Mechta : Russian word meaning Dream) of the former Soviet Union.

[The Luna 1]

It was the first human made object to reach the vicinity of the moon. The subsequent cold war race between the Soviet Union and the US culminated in 1969 with the landing of the first humans on the moon. Till then they had sent about 40 spacecrafts to map and study the lunar surface in great detail. After the first moon landing about a dozen men landed on the moon. They were as follows:

Apollo 11 [July 20, 1969]:
1. Neil Armstrong “One small step for (a) man, One giant leap for mankind…”
2. Buzz Aldrin

Apollo 12 [November 19-20, 1969]:
3. Pete Conrad
4. Alan Bean

Apollo 14 [February 5-6, 1971]:
5. Alan Shepard
6. Edgar Mitchell

Apollo 15 [July 31-August 2, 1971]:
7. David Scott
8. James Irwin

Apollo 16 [April 21-23, 1972]:
9. John W. Young
10. Charles Duke

Apollo 17 [December 11-14, 1972]:
11. Eugene Cernan
12. Harrison Schmitt

The Soviets mainly relied on robotic explorers to collect rock samples whereas the above astronauts got about 400 kg of soil and rock samples back to earth for investigation. After the end of this race the interest in the moon significantly waned. Was there anything left to know about the moon that would interest us at all?

Moon Mysteries:

>> Though we know the maximum about the moon as compared to any other celestial body other than our own planet, we still know very little about it.

>> The Moon is 4.5 billion years old and is a witness to the countless mysteries about the solar system we are not aware of. It still has a lot to offer. And its proximity would only help us in this quest.

>> Comprehensive lunar surveyors like the Clementine gave us a lot of new insight, but a lot remains to be known.

>> The origins of the moon are not known well enough. According to one hypothesis that has maximum currency today is that a large object collided with the Earth and resulted into debris that eventually formed the Moon.

How the Chandrayaan is Not A Reinvention of the Wheel:

1. The chief advantage that the Chandrayaan has is that it carries instruments that can survey the Moon in extensive detail like never before. This could lead to various new insights. It could map the Moon using the visible, UV, IR, X-Ray, Low Power Gamma ray and radar. This would give a detailed 3-D atlas of the moon and also a sound picture of its chemical composition.

The probe is expected to orbit the moon for two years, in this period if suppose there is a solar flare, then the x-rays emitted from the Sun could cause the iron on the Moon to emit characteristic X-rays which could be analysed by the Imaging X-Ray spectrometer. Also, this data could be used by the Hyper Spectral Imager and the Moon Mineralogy mapper to find out the amount of Iron on the Moon.

2. Water on the permanently shadowed regions of the poles of the Moon was a distinct possibility that was indicated by the Clementine mission, the Chandrayaan could go a long way in investigating this further.

3. There are many other objectives that the Chandrayaan is expected to work at.

For more details look here

Update (15th November): Chandrayaan has now started sending back images of the Moon and some have been released by the ISRO. They can be found over here:

One of them below was taken by the TMC in orbit.

[Photo Source: Indian Space Research Organization ]

Click to Enlarge

In conclusion, one thing is for sure. World competition for space is now a thing of the past IMHO and space agencies around the world would only co-operate for working towards the overall benefit of mankind.

]]> http://aeonianblog.wordpress.com/2008/10/31/chandrayaan-camera-clicks-earth-from-deep-space/ Fri, 31 Oct 2008 17:54:44 +0000 aeonian http://aeonianblog.wordpress.com/2008/10/31/chandrayaan-camera-clicks-earth-from-deep-space/ http://myscribbling.wordpress.com/2008/10/26/chandrayaan-a-journey-to-the-moon/ Sun, 26 Oct 2008 16:39:06 +0000 cksquare http://myscribbling.wordpress.com/2008/10/26/chandrayaan-a-journey-to-the-moon/

On October 22nd, India launched a PSLV rocket, that put the Chandrayaan-I on its ‘journey to the moon’. I watch and look forward to hearing news about each and every launch the now not-so-fledgling ISRO, India’s space agency, attempts. This was no different, except i was travelling and inflight at the time of the launch. I however did get the news on the airplane news update service, just before landing on the 22nd morning (ie 7am GMT), a few hours after the successfull launch.

Now the Chandrayaan is getting ready, after a few days of encircling the earth, to begin its journey towards the moon. This could take a few days to cover the journey. All the while its position being monitored by the team on earth. A few things never cease to amaze me. The ability to control a space ship from the earth, is one such thing. Not that, it is not possible, but the fact that each instruction being issued and executed is separated by a few seconds, depending on the distance the space ship is away from the earth. So a small milli-second delay can have disastrous impacts. Just think, NASA has a space ship that is about to leave and cross our solar system as we know it.

During the press conference after the launch of the rocket, the ISRO was straight foward in admitting that all this is new territory for them. Like their past experience, this is also possibly experimental and one may expect a few things to go wrong. But, they have always shown that they are able to learn quickly and get it right the next time. Hopefully, this time they wont need a second time.

Many have raised the issue of poverty and space research, and were money should be spent. Well, to me these are not mutually exclusive. Money needs to be allocated to both. We need to solve both these problems with the same priority. The only difference is that the removal of poverty is a lifelong and never ending process. Even as late as last week, a few hundred stock brokers were added to the below-poverty-line, but then the goverment and society cannot completely solve those problems. But a country like India, that can send a space ship to the moon, can also create a systemic way or method to reduce the number of people who are below the poverty line.

With the successful launch of Chandrayaan,the messenger of 100 billion Indians to the moon , ISRO finished writing the preface to the modern Indian space research histroy.As the Polar Satelite Launch

Source: ISRO

Vehicle (PSLV-11) carrying Chandrayaan was lifted off the Satish Dhawan Space Center at Sriharikota, India joined the elite list of countries which could reach out to the moon. India is the sixth nation to undertake lunar missions only after the European Space Agency (ESA), Japan, China, the US and Russia.

The very first question that came to my mind when I heard about Chandrayaan was why is India interested in sending a space craft to the moon. But I knew the answer myself. We Indians fancy space research since the time of Aryabhatta and I am pretty sure that the idea for this mission did not come out of the blue. It is a well architecured plan and which is being implemented in a sequence. The success of a lunar mission like any other space mission is verymuch dependent on the launch vehicle. I think the primary motivation behind a mission of this magnitude is the success and reliability of the PSLV. PSLV turns to be ISRO’s greatest sucess with more than 10 successful launches. Indian space missions were so far limited and contributed to the infrastructural developement of the country including satellites for televisions and telecommunications, weather monitoruing, agriculture development. But with a commercial level launch vehicle like PSLV in it’s arsenal, it was a timely decision to pay the international space community back for everything they did for India so far. Chadrayaan attempts to perceive the moon from different direction that nobody ever attempted. The aim of the mission according to ISRO is the preparation of a 3-dimensional atlas of the lunar surface and chemical mapping of entire lunar surface.

It is obvious that ISRO has it’s eyes set on the moon itself and not just the lunar orbit. As ISRO would put it one of the motives behind Chandrayaan is ,”Chandrayaan-1 mission would pass on the baton to sophisticated future lunar and planetary missions with possible landing and sample return capability.” A mission like Chandrayaan will provide a quantum leap in the technology and understanding of the space missions. Chandrayaan just completed it’s fifth orbit around the moon after which it will be aligned to the lunar orbit which finally sets the space craft in a circular orbit of 100Km around the moon. As Chandrayaan reaches its orbit it will set it self as the forerunner to many more lunar missions in the near future.

Bon Voyage Chandrayaan!

October 22nd will be considered as a red letter day in the history of Indian space research after the successful launch of CHANDRAYAAN 1 to moon from Sriharikota at 6.22 am. The unmanned mission to moon is the ultimate dream of our scientistin ISRO. The PSLV C11 rocket which carried the satellite Chandrayaan is expected to orbit the moon for two years. The objective behind the launch is to look for Helium 3, an isotope which is very rare on earth but is sought to power nuclear fusion and could be a valuable source of energy in the future, some scientists believe. It is thought to be more plentiful on the moon, but still rare and very difficult to extract. The countdown for chandrayaan started on oct 21st and blasted off two days later (the countdown time has two days in advance so that the working condition is thoroughly checked before launch). Next to US, Japan, Russia and China now India also join hands by launching the unmanned flight. Chandrayaan 2 is expected to be launched by 2010.

Cartoon: RK

Also visit the Cartoon page on RwB.

Chandrayaan-1

October 22nd, 2008 – India launches unmanned moon mission

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has launched its first moon mission a few hours ago, using a domestically produced rocket system. A Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-XL-C11) lifted-off from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota on Wednesday morning at around 6.40 am. This satellite will be tooling about for two years, primarily modeling the surface of the moon.

Large crowds had gathered at Sriharikota since early Wednesday morning to see this historic event.

India has joined what’s shaping up as a 21st century space race with Chinese and Japanese crafts already in orbit around the moon. There are plans to put the first Indian into space by 2014 and to launch a manned lunar mission by 2020 which is four years ahead of China’s target date.

It was truly a historic moment for the entire country.

Following is the Chronology of Indian Space Program:

Launch Dates, Vehicle Results

 India launched its first unmanned moon mission on Wednesday following in the footsteps of rival China, as the emerging Asian power celebrated its space ambitions and scientific prowess.

Chandrayaan-1 (Moon vehicle), a cuboid spacecraft built by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) blasted off from a southern Indian space centre shortly after dawn in a boost for the country’s ambitions to gain more global space business.

“What we have started is a remarkable journey,” G. Madhavan Nair, chairman of ISRO, told reporters.

The operation is ostensibly about mapping the moon, but the mission comes on the heels of China’s first space walk last month, when Chinese astronauts were feted as national heroes.

India does not want to fall behind in an Asian race to space that could have technological and military implications. There is disquiet in the West that China has military ambitions in space, with developments like anti-satellite missiles.

India’s national television channels broadcast the countdown to the launch live. Some scientists thumped their chests, hugged each other and clapped as the rocket shot up into space.

Greeted with patriotism in the media, the launch appeared to have distracted India from an economic slowdown, collapsing stock prices and outbreaks of ethnic and religious violence.

Perhaps remarkably in a nation where hundreds of millions of people live in poverty and millions of children are malnourished, the cost of the mission has scarcely been questioned.

“Destination Moon … Historic Day For India” blazed one TV channel on its screen.

Barring any technical failure, the spacecraft will reach the lunar orbit and spend two years scanning the moon for any evidence of water and precious metals.

A gadget called the Moon Impactor Probe will detach and land on the moon to kick up some dust, while instruments in the craft analyse the particles, ISRO says.

A principal objective is to look for Helium 3, an isotope which is very rare on earth but is sought to power nuclear fusion and could be a valuable source of energy in the future, some scientists believe.

It is thought to be more plentiful on the moon, but still rare and very difficult to extract.

India’s project cost $79 million, considerably less than the Chinese and Japanese probes in 2007 and ISRO says the moon mission will pave the way for India to claim a bigger chunk of the global space business.

ISRO scientists visited temples to seek the blessings of Hindu gods before the launch, and afterwards some expressed relief that rain had held off until the rocket was in space.

“The rain gods have been kind to us,” Madhavan said.

FROM NUCLEAR POWER TO SPACE POWER

For many proud Indians, the launch is another notch in the country’s global ambitions. India recently signed a civil nuclear deal with the United States, making it a de facto nuclear power.

“I’m very proud,” said Sunil Tambe, a taxi driver in Mumbai. “It means India can do these big projects and I think it will also benefit us because there will be more information and we can learn new things.”

In April, India sent 10 satellites into orbit from a single rocket, and ISRO says it is plans more launches before a proposed manned mission to space and then onto Mars in four years time.

“With China forging ahead in the space field, India cannot afford to lag far behind,” wrote security analyst Ajey Lele in The Indian Express.

ISRO is collaborating with a number of countries, including Israel on a project to carry an ultra-violet telescope in an Indian satellite within a year.

It is also building a tropical weather satellite with France, collaborating with Japan to improve disaster management from space, and developing a heavy lift satellite launcher, which it hopes to use to launch heavier satellites by 2010.

India has launched 10 remote sensing satellites since 1998, has several broadcast satellites in space to control 170 transponders and has also launched light-weight satellites for Belgium, Germany, Korea, Japan and France.

This is going to be a proud day for any Indian for sure…..

We are now in the elite band of six countries who have done escapades in and around the Moon.

Great moment for all and way to go ISRO!!

For me why I think its special is cause this is something truly indigenous and not some assembled piece of equipment bought from others, like most of the other stuff we claim to be indigenous like our commissioned planes, missiles and war-ships etc etc, you know its not like we can’t make it, yes we can and probably better than others but because we are somehow restrained from………..for reasons like vested interest, political ill will and ohh! forgot the main thing – The huge kick-back the pimps get to get a deal out for the foreign arms dealers.

Anyways thats sad, but this is good and i truly hope and believe that we are moving forward to create and build stuffs and make India a prominent republic on the face of the earth.