Prime Minister of India Announces Mission to Moon (Forwarded)

Indian Space Research Organisation
Bangalore, India

August 16, 2003

Prime Minister Announces Mission to Moon

The Chandrayan-1 mission, announced by the Prime Minister yesterday (August 15,
2003) during his Independence Day address to the nation, represents India's
foray into a planetary exploration era in the coming decades. Today, India is
confident of undertaking a complex space mission because of its indigenously
developed launch vehicle and spacecraft capabilities. This mission will provide
a unique opportunity for frontier scientific research. Chandrayan-1 is expected
to be the forerunner of more ambitious planetary missions in the years to come,
including landing robots on the moon and visits by Indian spacecraft to other
planets in the solar system.

The Chandrayan-1 mission envisages placing a 525-kg satellite in a polar orbit
100-km above the moon. The satellite will be launched using a modified version
of India's indigenous Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). The spacecraft will
initially be launched into Geo-synchronous Transfer Orbit, and subsequently
manoeuvred into its final lunar orbit using its own propulsion system. The main
objectives of Chandrayan-1 include obtaining imagery of the moon's surface using
high-resolution remote sensing instruments in the visible, near infrared, low
and high-energy X-ray regions. Furthermore, considering the interest expressed
by the international scientific community, a provision has also been made to
accommodate instruments from other countries.

The spacecraft is expected to be ready for launch by 2008.