India recently launched its first unmanned mission to the Moon in a bid to close the gap with rival China.
The spacecraft, called Chandrayaan-1 was built by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and blasted off without fault from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre on Sriharikota island in the south-eastern state of Andhra Pradesh.
Chandrayaan-1, which means ‘moon vehicle’, will orbit the Moon for two years compiling a 3-D atlas and searching for water, mineral deposits, and the rare isotope Helium 3 which some scientists believe could be a valuable source of energy in the future.
If the $79 million project succeeds, India will join the United States, Russia, Japan, and China as the only countries capable of independently reaching the Moon.
G. Madhavan Nair, the chairman of ISRO, said: “This is a historic moment for India. We’ve started our journey to the Moon and the first leg of the journey has gone remarkably well.”
The race has intensified as China’s development of anti-satellite missiles has created concerns that the country has military ambitions in space.
Ajey Lele, security analyst for the Indian Express, said: “With China forging ahead in the space field, India cannot afford to lag behind.”
