Chandrayaan-I progressing as per schedule: Annadurai

The assembly, integration and testing (AIT) of the country's first unmanned moon mission, Chandrayaan-I, is progressing as per schedule, according to a top official.

The assembly, integration and testing (AIT) of the country's first unmanned moon mission, Chandrayaan-I, is progressing as per schedule, according to a top official of the Indian Space Research Organisation.

The AIT of the spacecraft, which is slated for launch in the first quarter of 2008 'is progressing as per schedule,' Director, Chandrayaan I, Mylswamy Annadurai told PTI from Bangalore.

'Moon mineralogy Mapper-M3 from JPL/NASA has been integrated and tested with the spacecraft system. A team from the JPL, NASA headed by M3 project manager Thomas Glavich was in ISRO, Bangalore in this regard and after successful integration and test, the team has left for the US,' Annadurai said.

'Other Payloads are also lined up for further AIT progress. RADOM (Radiation Dose Monitor) from Bulgaria is next in the line,' he added.

In March this year, the spacecraft structure for the mission had arrived at the ISRO satellite centre (ISAC) from the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, he said.

The Chandrayaan-1 mission, which aims at placing a 525-kg spacecraft around the lunar orbit, is expected to unravel the unknown features of the moon for the first time.