Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) announced on Thursday that it is all set to launch the country's first unmanned spacecraft Chandrayaan-1 to the moon, according to the Indian Express Friday.
The spacecraft is scheduled for launch on October 22, five years after the Indian government cleared the project. It will make an entry into the lunar atmosphere for a two-year mission.
It will be loaded with six Indian and five foreign scientific instruments.
It has overcome a major hurdle in the form of extreme temperature tests over the past fortnight. Now its launch is dependent on weather factors, said ISRO moon mission director Annadurai.
"Weather is a key issue. We are watching for forecasts closer to the tentative launch dates," Annadurai said. Chandrayaan-1 would take approximately eight days to course the nearly 386,000 km to get to its final orbit -- 100 km from the moon.
If weather plays spoilsport and the late October launch is postponed we would have to wait for dates in November or December when the trajectories of the moon and Chandrayaan-1 will intersectagain, he said.
Chandrayaan mission is seen as major step in acknowledging India's existence in space.
Source:Xinhua
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