India to launch lunar exploration orbiter in Feb: Scientist

Kozhikode, July 20 (UNI) India is all set to launch its ambitious lunar exploration project Chadrayaan I from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in February 2008, its Director M Annadurai today said.

Inaugurating 'Moon Landing Week' at the Regional Science Centre here, he said the work relating to the project was progressing well.

Dr Annadurai said the lunar orbiter, developed with support from other leading global space reserach agencies, including NASA, will have a life time of two-years.

The Director said a moon impact probe, to be undertaken with a high sensitive mass spectrometer, a video camera and a radar altimeter during the period, would map the south and north poles of the moon.

It would also study in detail, among other things, how Helium-3, available in abundance in the moon, could be used for future energy use, he added.

UNI