'Chandrayaan launch historic for India, Andhra'

Hyderabad, Oct 22 (IANS) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy Wednesday congratulated Indian space scientists on the successful launch of the country's first unmanned moon mission Chandrayaan-I.

The chief minister, in his congratulatory message to Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chief Madhavan Nair, said it was a truly historic moment for the entire country and 'more so for Andhra Pradesh since it is from our soil that the Chandrayaan-I lifted off successfully'.

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'I wholeheartedly congratulate all the space scientists and all others connected with the Chandrayaan-I mission. The whole nation is proud of you all today as India enters the moon club.'

Wednesday morning's launch was a historic and momentous event, he said.

'I am happy that the launch was perfect and precise. With this, we have completed the first leg of the mission and it will take 15 days to reach the lunar orbit.'

The chief minister hoped that the mission will help Indian scientists locate He-3, which has the potential to produce a large amount of energy. The scientists hope to transport it to the earth to run nuclear plants.

The 44.4-metre-tall, 316-tonne rocket, Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C11), had a copybook launch at 6.22 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 11 scientific instruments, five from India and six from universities and laboratories of the European Space Agency, the US and Bulgaria.