Article Posted on : - Dec 04, 2008

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the centenary celebrations of the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore on Wednesday. PIB photo

BANGALORE (BNS): Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has once again congratulated the Chandrayaan team for successfully launching the country’s first lunar craft into the moon's orbit.

Speaking at the centenary celebrations of the Indian Institute of Science here on Wednesday, Dr Singh said, "Coming to Bangalore...I must once again compliment all those scientists and engineers who worked together as a team for the success of our Chandrayaan Moon Mission."

“The scientists are a source of inspiration to the countrymen. Their effort, their achievement and their example should ignite young minds across the country," he said.

The Chandrayaan 1 spacecraft, which successfully blasted off from the Sriharikota space centre on October 22, is nicely nestled in the lunar orbit and continues to send "valuable inputs".

India has given its approval for Chandrayaan-2 which would be in orbit by 2012.

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has started essential research work for the next moon mission as necessary funds for it have been sanctioned by the Centre.

According to ISRO, the second mission would be a fully indigenous one. Chandrayaan 1 is designed to study water availability and fertile standards of the moon.