By IANS,
Tokyo : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Wednesday termed the successful launch of Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft, India’s first unmanned scientific mission to the moon, as a “historic milestone” for the country’s space programme and congratulated all its associated scientists from here.
“When completed, the mission will put India in the very small group of six countries, which have thus far sent space missions to the moon,” Manmohan Singh, here on a three-day official visit, said in a message.
“I congratulate the entire ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) community on this momentous occasion. I would also like to congratulate the space agencies of USA and Bulgaria as well as the European Space Agency who have contributed to this mission.”
The 44.4-metre-tall, 316-tonne rocket, Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C11), had a copybook launch at 6.20 a.m. from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh Wednesday morning and completed its mission by placing Chandrayaan-1 into its scheduled orbit around the earth within 18 minutes, as planned.
The spacecraft carries eleven scientific instruments, five from India and six from universities and laboratories of the European Space Agency, the US and Bulgaria.
“Our scientific community has once again done the country proud and the entire nation salutes them,” the prime minister said, after speaking over phone with ISRO Chairman G. Madhavan Nair, who is also secretary, Department of Space.
The prime minister retains the portfolio of space.
“The successful launch of the Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft, India’s first unmanned scientific mission to the moon, marks the first step in what we hope will be a historic milestone in India’s space programme,” he added.