Chandrayaan
After two weeks of journey India’s first unmanned lunar spacecraft Chandrayaan-1 entered the lunar orbit on Saturday (Nov. 08, 2008) evening. It started at 16:50 hrs IST and within 14 minutes, it the entered lunar orbit. It is now 504 km from Moon. ISRO says the most critical operation is successful. With this development, India’s moon mission has been declared successful. Indians are fascinated by Moon from ancient days and now 21st century india is ready to land on moon! Chandrayaan is the mission towords that dream. In Chandrayaan-1, the lunar craft would be launched using Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).Lunar craft would orbit around moon 100 km from moon surface.
On 56th indepence day, August 15 2003, India’s Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee announced. “Our country is now ready to fly high in the field of science. I am pleased to announce that India will send her own spacecraft to the moon by 2008. It is being named Chandrayaan-1″. In Sanskrit (language of Ancient India) “Chandrayaan” means “Moon Craft”. Moon has always fascinated Indians from ancient days and now 21st century india is ready to land on moon! Chandrayaan-1 is the first mission towords the dream. In Chandrayaan-1, the lunar craft would be launched using Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) weighing 1304 kg at launch and 590 kg at lunar orbit. Lunar craft would orbit around moon 100 km from moon surface.
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