India's moon mission
India successfully launched its first lunar mission, marking a major boost for the country's space programme and a new step in the fast-developing Asian space race.
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The Satellite Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft, India's first moon mission craft is seen from behind glass at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) center in Bangalore on September 18, 2008. Chandrayaan-1, had reached its final stages of preparation before its shipment to its launch centre at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SHAR), in Sriharikota. (AFP Photo)
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The Indian spacecraft, Polar Sattelite Launch Vehicle -C11 (PSLV) takes off carring India's first lunar probe Chandrayaan-1 at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, around 110KM north of Chennai on October 22, 2008. The space craft is carrying 11 payloads including two from the US and four from Europe. The 80-million-dollar mission puts India on the inside track of a fast-developing Asian space race. (AFP Photo)
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Chairman of The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) G.Madhavan Nair gestures as he attends a press conference at The Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota some 110kms north of Chennai on October 22, 2008, after the successful launch of the Indian spacecraft - Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle-C11(PSLV) carring India's first Lunar probe Chandrayaan-1. India successfully launched its first lunar mission, marking a major boost for the country's space programme and a new step in the fast-developing Asian space race. There were cheers in mission control as the unmanned lunar orbiting spacecraft Chandrayaan-1 was launched with an Indian-built rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. Officials said the lift-off, which took place in cloudy skies at 6:22 am (0052 GMT), was a "great success", with the rocket placing the craft into a transfer orbit around the globe within 19 minutes. (AFP Photo)
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In this picture sent on October 22, 2008, a model of the the Chandrayaan-1 sits on display at a press conference at The Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, after the successful launch of the Indian spacecraft - Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle-C11(PSLV) carring India's first Lunar probe Chandrayaan-1. India has lost contact with its first mooncraft, an unmanned satellite launched amid much fanfare last October, the national space agency said August 29,2009. (AFP PHOTO)
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A handout from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on September 2, 2009 purportedly shows a three-dimensional image of the moon landing site of NASA's Apollo 15 spacecraft. The image was taken by a camera on board India's Chandrayaan-I lunar orbiter, which was launched late 2008. ISRO senior scientist Dr Prakash Chauhan said in Panaji, Goa on September 2, 2009 that the image debunked the conspiracy theory that 1971 NASA mission - and others in the Apollo project - was a hoax. (AFP Photo)
