The countdown has begun for the launch of Chandrayaan I - India’s first moon mission at Sriharikota in AP. As the launch activities were finished three hours earlier from the schedule the countdown time was set at 5.22 am on Monday.

If all will go well, it will be sent in space at 6.20 am on Wednesday morning. It is an orbiter mission which will help in testing Technologies and gaining experience or Chandrayaan 2, a lander mission slated for 2012 as per ISRO.

The best part are many in this first project.

1. A golden chocolate wrapper kind of special thermal film.

2.It is multi continental lunar craft with 14 nations from America, Europe, and Asia are hitching a ride on. The previous China and Japan attempts were single nation attempts.

3.India, a developing country, is flying free to moon, with instruments provided by developed countries.

4.The instruments worth millions are on board provided by NASA, Germany, UK, Sweden, Bulgaria and India is ferrying them to moon free. In return these countries will share the data.

5.MINI SAR NASA’s one hundred million dollar instrument is on board. It shows the trust that these countries have in India that Chandrayaan is a safe launch for their instruments.

6.There will be intensive search for ice, minerals, elements especially He-3 a futuristic energy source.

7.There are nearly half a million craters on the surface of moon, many have been given an Indian names, such as Raman, Sarabhai, Bhabha, Sahu... Hopefully during this venture there will many more Indian names on the moon craters.

It gives one a sense of pride with so many countries are willing to stake so much in an Indian venture. That means we surely have the intelligence and the knowledge, acknowledged by the whole world.