Already on its way, India has successfully launched the unmanned Chandrayaan 1 spacecraft on its first mission to the Moon. The launch went smoothly from a launch pad in southern Andhra Pradesh to embark on a two-year mission of exploration, and was greeted with applause by scientists gathered at the site. 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.

One key objective will be to search for surface or sub-surface water-ice on the Moon, especially at the poles as well as to detect Helium 3, an isotope which is rare on Earth, but is sought to power nuclear fusion and could be a valuable source of energy in future. Powered by a single solar panel generating about 700 Watts, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) probe carries five Indian-built instruments and six that are foreign-built including some from the U.S. The mission is expected to cost 3.8bn rupees (£45m; $78m). The Indian experiments include a 30kg probe that will be released from the mothership to slam into the lunar surface.

The event was met with mixed reviews, some said it was good for India to become more modern and participate in a competitive way with other nations. Then there were those very concerned about India's abject poverty such as the photo on the right.