Chandrayaan launch date next month

The date for launching Chandrayaan-1, India's first scientific experiment to the moon, would be announced next month, Nair, who is also secretary to the Department of Space, said on Thursday.

"There are a lot of expectations from the mission. It is going to be a unique mission in which you will get the total mapping of the moon, which does not exist today," he told reporters on the sidelines of the International Conference on Aerospace Science and Technology, organised by the National Aerospace Laboratories.

"We are trying to look for rare elements on the surface of the moon. The information will help us further exploration," Nair said. On the date of launch, he said, "The launch date will be announced next month. "September is the earliest," he added.
On any proposed joint venture with a foreign partner to tap helium on the moon, he said, "Right now it is only in the conceptual stage. Once we know that helium is present, we can go to the next stage."

ISRO is also planning to launch its second mission to moon, Chandrayaan-2 in 2012. The mission will use a rover and lander to pick up samples from the moon's surface and send back data after analysing them. Speaking on the occasion, former president A P J Abdul Kalam said the moon mission would be an interim platform to go to Mars. "In future, we have to look at earth-moon-mars as a single complex for humanity," he added.