India launches first Moon mission...

India has successfully launched its first mission to the Moon. 

The unmanned Chandrayaan 1 spacecraft blasted off smoothly from a launch pad in southern Andhra Pradesh to embark on a two-year mission of exploration. 

The robotic probe will orbit the Moon, compiling a 3-D atlas of the lunar surface and mapping the distribution of elements and minerals. 

The launch is regarded as a major step for India as it seeks to keep pace with other space-faring nations in Asia. 

Indian PM Manmohan Singh hailed the launch as the "first step" in a historic milestone in the country's space programme. More...

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