An Indian probe landed on the moon on Friday, the Indian Space Research Organisation announced, in a milestone for the country's 45-year-old space programme.
The probe touched down on the moon at 8:34pm (1504 GMT), 25 minutes after it was ejected from an unmanned spacecraft orbiting the moon.
During its descent from Chandrayaan-1 an onboard video camera transmitted lunar pictures to the ISRO command centre.
Scientists monitoring the probe cheered as ISRO chairman Madhavan Nair announced the success of the country's first lunar mission, which began on October 22 when a rocket transported Chandrayaan-1 into space.
The probe, carrying three instruments and with the Indian flag painted on its outer panes, settled in a crater in the moon's south pole.
Nair said the landing was perfect.
"We have now successfully put our national flag on the lunar surface," he told a news conference.
"The moon has been very favourable to us and this is a very productive and fruitful mission," he said, and added: "We have also emerged as a low-cost travel agency to space," referring to the mission's 80-million dollar tag.
Chandrayaan-1 is on a two-year orbital mission to provide a detailed map of the mineral, chemical and topographical characteristics of the moon's surface.
Buoyed by its success, ISRO plans to send a second unmanned spacecraft to the moon in 2012 and separately launch satellites to study Mars and Venus.
India started its space programme in 1963, developing its own satellites and launch vehicles to reduce dependence on overseas agencies.
Friday, November 14, 2008
world's largest astronomical observatory set up to solve Cosmic Mysteries
Scientists in western Argentina were set to inaugurate on Friday, the 14th Nov, 2008 the world's largest astronomical observatory, hoping to unlock the mysteries of high energy cosmic rays that bombard the Earth.
To observe the cosmic ray showers -- high-energy particles present in universe that bombard the Earth -- they use a collection of 1,600 particle detectors placed 1.5 kilometers (one mile) apart, in a grid spread across 3,000 square kilometers (1,200 square miles).
On top of this detection system, scientists will turn the observatory into the most powerful galaxial observation instrument ever built with an additional 24 telescopes, to record emissions of light from the particle shower.
Cosmic particles amount to microscopic protons and atomic nuclei, which whiz across the vast expanse of the universe, approaching the speed of light.
When the particles slam into Earth's upper atmosphere the impact splits them into secondary particles that scientists call an "air shower," which can spread across more than 40 square kilometers (15 square miles) across the planet's surface.
To observe the cosmic ray showers -- high-energy particles present in universe that bombard the Earth -- they use a collection of 1,600 particle detectors placed 1.5 kilometers (one mile) apart, in a grid spread across 3,000 square kilometers (1,200 square miles).
On top of this detection system, scientists will turn the observatory into the most powerful galaxial observation instrument ever built with an additional 24 telescopes, to record emissions of light from the particle shower.
Cosmic particles amount to microscopic protons and atomic nuclei, which whiz across the vast expanse of the universe, approaching the speed of light.
When the particles slam into Earth's upper atmosphere the impact splits them into secondary particles that scientists call an "air shower," which can spread across more than 40 square kilometers (15 square miles) across the planet's surface.
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