India has just successfully launched their space craft,
Chandrayaan-1 — which means "Moon Craft" in ancient Sanskrit —
launched from the Sriharikota space center in southern India early
Wednesday morning in a two-year mission aimed at laying the
groundwork for further Indian space expeditions.
Scientists, clapping and cheering, tracked the ascent on
computer screens as they lost sight of the rocket in heavy
clouds.
"This is a historic moment for India," Indian Space Research
Organization chairman G. Madhavan Nair said.
"We have started our journey to the moon and the first leg has
gone perfectly well," he said, adding that they hoped to "unravel
the mystery of the moon."
"There's a mini-space race going on in Asia with Japan, China
and India claiming an interest in sending astronauts to the moon
soon."
The costs of space exploration, manned or otherwise, is
incredibly expensive and there has been plenty of international
cooperation in space exploration, such as the International Space
Station. NASA, which estimates it will cost $230 billion to build a
lunar base, has invited joint ventures with other countries, but
the allure of making a national statement in space remains
high.
"There are national rivalries in between these Asian Countries.
China sending a man into space was them getting revenge over Japan
for being the first Asian country to launch a satellite. It's given
the Chinese reason to say they are ahead of Japan in space," says
Norris.
For NASA, a Chinese "taikonaut" reaching the moon before them
would be an embarrassment. While NASA win the first round but with
US facing economic resession, China and India may take over and
superseed their Space efforts.
The three Shenzhou 7 astronauts are reportedly recovering well
after completing China's first spacewalk during the country's third
manned space mission. They have been undergoing a series of
physical examinations and rehabilitation in Beijing since returning
to Earth on September 28th.