“This is a historic moment for India,” said G. Madhavan Nair, ISRO’s chairman, shortly after the launch. “What we have started is a remarkable journey . . . to unravel the mysteries of the Moon.”
You may view the historic launch here.
Now ISRO has far more ambitious and expensive plans. The Government has approved a second unmanned lunar mission, Chandrayaan2, that will land a rover on the Moon by 2010-12 at a cost of £47 million. ISRO is also planning to put its first Indian astronaut into orbit by 2014-16, depending on when the Government approves the £1 billion budget. It has already announced plans to land a man on the Moon by 2020.
Source: Timesonline
