RS congratulates ISRO Chairman, scientists on Chandrayaan launch

New Delhi, Oct 22 (UNI) The Rajya Sabha today congratulated the Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation G Madhavan Nair and its members on the successful launch of India's first Moon mission Chandrayaan-I by PSLV-C11 from the SHAR centre in Sriharikota this morning.

Congratulating Indian scientists, Chairman of the House Mohammad Hamid Ansari said, "on behalf of the House and on my own behalf, I congratulate Chairman of the ISRO Madhavan Nair and the team of scientists associated with the project." A standing ovation was given by the members of the House to the Indian scientists on this glorious achievement.

The Chandrayaan I was launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) using India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), at around 0600 hours.

All the launch vehicle systems performed satisfactorily and the spacecraft has been successfully placed in an orbit around the earth.

This is the beginning of a two-week long effort in which scientists will manoeuvre the spacecraft into expanding orbits around the earth before finally shifting it to an orbit around the moon.

Chandrayaan-I will then orbit the moon and carry out high resolution remote sensing to prepare a 3-dimensional atlas of the moon. It will also carry out chemical and mineralogical mapping of the lunar surface.

The spacecraft carries eleven scientific instruments, five from India and six from universities and laboratories of the European Space Agency, USA and Bulgaria.

UNI AR NK AS1237