India launces first moon mission by Magdalena Rosova

India launched its first unmanned mission to the moon. A satellite´s mission is to redraw maps of the lunar surface.

The satellite called Chandrayaan-1, which means “Moon Craft,” was rocketed from the Sriharikota space center in in southern India.

The main mission goal is to map the surface of the moon and to find out what lies beneath. India is intending to create a high-resolution map of the moon surface.

Until now only the U.S., Russia, the European Space Agency, Japan and China have ever rocketed missions to the moon.

India´s economy boom has allowed the country to build the nation´s hig-tech sector. Only few months ago a deal with the United States, that recognizes India as a nuclear power, was finalized. India hopes the moon mission will enhance its status.

Althougt the technology needed to reach the moon has not changed since the Soviet Union and the United States did it more than forty years ago, new mapping equipment allows the exploration of new areas.

Asian nations have taken the leading position in moon exploration recently. Japan sent up the Kaguya spacecraft in October 2007 and only a month later China sent up Change´e-1. In 2003 China became the first Asian country which put its astronauts into space.

However, Indian mission is not only about rivalry and prestige. The mission is deserved reward for the technology India developed.

The mission costs $80 million and will test systems for a future moon landing. India is dreaming of a manned space program, even though it has not been authorized yet.

related story: http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2008/10/21/india-moon.html?ref=rss

by Magdalena Rosova for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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edited by Beata Biskova