India's lunar mission lifts off

NEW DELHI, Oct. 22 (UPI) -- India's maiden lunar mission was launched successfully Wednesday when the unmanned Chandrayan-1 spacecraft was placed in orbit by the Polar Launch Vehicle.

Television pictures showed the PSLV-C11 blast off from Sriharikota off the coast of southern Andhra Pradesh state. About 18 minutes later, the 1,380 kilogram, or 3.042-pound, Chandrayaan-1, carrying 11 payloads, was placed into Earth's orbit amid loud cheers from Indian Space Research Organization scientists.

One description of the project called it "One small step for mankind but one giant leap for India," Britain's Sky News reported.

The Chandrayan objectives include finding Helium-3 gas, a replacement for fossil fuels, Sky News said.

The mission will last about 30 months. The spacecraft is to reach its targeted lunar orbit at a height of about 62 miles from the surface after about two weeks, the Press Trust of India reported.

The 11 payloads include five from India, three from the European Space Agency, two from the United States and one from Bulgaria.

The U.S. payload consists of lunar mapping instruments. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration said its Moon Mineralogy Mapper will assess mineral resources and its Miniature Synthetic Aperture Radar will map the lunar polar regions looking for ice deposits.