India spacecraft heads for the moon

BANGALORE, India, Nov. 5 (UPI) -- The European Space Agency said India's first spacecraft to fly beyond Earth orbit-- Chandrayaan-1 -- has completed its fifth orbit-raising maneuver.

Launched Oct. 22 and injected into an elliptical 7-hour orbit around the Earth, the ESA said Chandrayaan-1 is now en route to a lunar orbit.

The ESA said the spacecraft, which is being monitored by the Indian Space Research Organization in Bangalore, is to approach the moon Saturday. Then the spacecraft's liquid-fuel propelled engine will be fired again to decelerate the spacecraft and allow the moon's gravity to capture it into an elliptical lunar orbit.

A series of subsequent maneuvers will then progressively lower Chandrayaan-1's altitude until it reaches its final 62-mile circular orbit.

The mission's international partners include the ESA, Bulgaria and the United States.