India sends flag to the moon: 22-10-2008
Travellers in India may have had a rude awakening followed by a sense of confusion this morning as something streaked through the sky towards space at around 6:20AM.
The object in question was the unmanned Chandrayaan-I rocket that propels the name of India into contention for the Asian space race.
The rocket will drop a probe bearing the Indian flag onto the moon, making it only the fourth country to fly its colours there.
The USA, Russia and Japan beat them to the punch, but Indian authorities will see it as a major step forward in the country's race for recognition on the technological front.
The £50 million venture follows China's 2003 success in becoming only the third nation to put a man on the moon.
Some have questioned the huge cost of the exercise but Indian Space Research Organisation chairman Dr K Kasturirangan explained the benefits will outweigh the cost.
"It is not a question of whether we can afford it," he says.
"It's whether we can afford to ignore it."
"And the returns, in terms of the science... the technology, inspiration, stature, prospects for international cooperation... are immense."
The rocket was launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota on India's south-eastern coast.
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