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India shoots for the moon in Asian space race

AFP, Sriharikota
India takes a giant leap today with the launch of a lunar mission that will boost its space programme into the same league as regional powerhouses Japan and China.
The unmanned lunar orbiting spacecraft Chandrayaan-1 is scheduled to blast off aboard an Indian-built rocket at 6:20 am (0050 GMT) on Wednesday from Sriharikota on India's southeastern
For India, the 80-million-dollar mission puts the country on the inside track of a fast-developing Asian space race.
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"It is a proud moment for us," said Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal.
As well as looking to carve out a larger slice of the lucrative commercial satellite launch market, India, Japan and China also see their space of their international stature and economic development.
TheChandrayaan-1 is being sent on a two-year orbital mission to provide a detailed map of the mineral, chemical and topographical characteristics of the moon's surface.
"It's a landmark mission... establishing India's credentials as a leader in space technology," said K. Kasturirangan. former chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation.
"This effort and similar efforts in the coming years will put India in a unique position to be an active partner in major global efforts involving planetary exploration and exploitation," Kasturirangan told AFP
India first staked its case for a share of the commercial launch market by sending an Italian satellite into orbit in April last year. In January, it launched an Israeli spy satellite in the face of Iranian protests.
But it still has a long way to go to catch up with China which, together with the United States, Russia and the European Space Agency, is already well established in the commercial launch sector.
Chinese officials have spoken of a manned mission to the moon in the future, after following the United States and the former Soviet Union last month by carrying out a space walk
A more immediate goal is the establishment of an orbiting space lab, with Beijing's long-term ambition to develop a rival to the International Space Station, a joint project involving the United States, Russia, Japan, Canada and a clutch of European countries.
Japan has also been boosting its space programme and has set a goal of sending an astronaut to the moon by2020.
Japan's first lunar probe,
Kaguya, was successfully launched in September last year, releasing two baby satellites which will be used to study the gravity fields of the moon among other projects.
As well as the commercial ramifications, the development of a space rye in Asy ha^,security implications.