The Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft, India's first unmanned scientific mission to the moon, blasted off successfully towards destination moon from Sriharikota, about 80 km from Chennai today. India now has joined an exclusive club of nations including the US, former Soviet Union, European Space Agency, China and Japan to have sent missions to moon. The two-year mission is aimed at laying the groundwork for further Indian space expeditions.

Chief among the mission's goals is mapping not only the surface of the moon, but what lies beneath. India joined what's shaping up as a 21st century space race with Chinese and Japanese crafts already in orbit around the moon.

"It is a proud moment for us. We have worked almost eight years towards the entire mission," K. Kasturirangan, former chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Rajya Sabha member, told IANS.

"With Chandrayaan-1, we are entering a new era of planetary exploration, which will be a major component of human endeavour in the 21st century. 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," he added.

Echoing Kasturirangan, the main brain behind India's moon mission, U.R. Rao, former chairman of ISRO said he felt great about the successful launch of Chandrayaan-1.

"It is a joyous day for the entire country. The mission demonstrates India's capability in launch vehicles and sending spacecraft beyond earth's orbit. It is a proud moment for the Indian space community," said Rao.

"I am ecstatic. It is a great initiative. Rather overdue as it will be the first beyond earth. The success of the mission will lead to a second wave of adventure in space in line with the vision of the founders of the Indian space programme such as Vikram Sarabhai and Satish Dhawan," said Roddam Narasimaiah, member Indian Space Commission, Bangalore.

Delving on the importance of the moon mission, Kasturirangan said being the first mission beyond the earth's orbit, Chandrayaan-1 would establish India's credentials as a leader in space technology, including indigenous development of powerful launch vehicles and spacecraft.

"Six of the 11 scientific experiments in the spacecraft being foreign payloads demonstrates the confidence space-faring nations such as the US and the European Space Agency have in our ability to venture into lunar exploration," he added.

For the billion-strong Indians, the mission exemplifies the tremendous progress the country has made in science and technology despite poverty and illiteracy on the other side.

"On one side, the lunar mission will put India on the world map of high-level cooperation in space technology. On the other, it strengthens our resolve to fight issues like poverty, hunger and illiteracy through strategies," said Kasturirangan.

"The entire space community has worked hard for years for this great leap in space technology. Launch is one aspect. Putting the spacecraft in the lunar orbit about 100 km from the moon's surface involves intricate manoeuvres at different levels for over 18 days before it is successfully placed in the pre-designated slot," added Kasturirangan.

Narasimaiah said after the successful launch of Chandrayaan-1, India now had to rethink on what it had to do in space.

"This is the first step in looking at space beyond earth. The entire mission demonstrates that India has the capability to launch its own rockets and put satellites beyond earth. We already have the capability. It is being harnessed now," he said.

"For the country and its people, the mission to the moon may not bring tangible benefits in the immediate future, but can potentially lead to in the next 20 years. The issue will be how well we can use lunar resources. That depends on how much we find what is on moon and the technology we have to develop to make use of the resources."

The Indian Science Congress Association (ISCA) also issued a statement congratulating the space scientists behind the successful launch.

The apex body of scientists in the country said the launch would help India economically and strategically.

"Successful blasting of Chandrayan-1 from the second launch pad of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota has not only put the country into the select club that have sent missions to the moon, it will also help the country economically and strategically," said V.M. Trehan, chairman of ISCA, Delhi chapter.

India is certainly making waves with it's recent upsurge in space technology, anti-gravity propulsion systems to be unleashed by 2012 ... India is in the know of things to come !

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• Full Moon Affects Consciousness

A week after the October 14th First Contact prediction left many trying to figure how to interpret the channeled message within the framework of our desynchronized linear time line, an absolutely fascinating pink light appeared over Mayfair, London on October 21st leaving Londoners absolutely stunned at what their eyes saw ! The pink cloud appeared for just under an hour, hovered over buildings before breaking up and disappearing into the night sky.

The MET Office after having disapproved theories of UFOs and atmospheric phenomena said it was nothing other than lights of the city reflecting in the clouds.

A spokesman said: "If you have a very high cloud, as we did last night, you tend to get odd splodges of low cloud that will reflect the pink or sometimes orangey-pink lights of the city from all angles and stand out from the darkness of the sky.

Around the world it's a known fact the law enforcement agencies and hospitals swing into high gear on Full Moon nights with a sudden spurt in incidents mushrooming all over major cities of the world. The Full Moon does affect us in a BIG way since human consciousness is made up of electric activity.


George E Lockett shares the science and spirituality surrounding the magical Full Moon !

It has been known for centuries that the full moon can affect people’s consciousness and behaviour. Many people may feel wakeful at night with energy streaming through their body for the three days before full moon.

It is only recently that I have discovered why this may be happening. NASA-supported scientists have realized that something does happen every month when the Moon passes through Earth's magnetic tail.


"Earth's magnetotail extends well beyond the orbit of the Moon and, once a month, the Moon orbits through it," says Tim Stubbs, a University of Maryland scientist working at the Goddard Space Flight Center. "This can have consequences ranging from lunar 'dust storms' to electrostatic discharges."

Anyone can tell when the Moon is inside the magnetotail. Just look: "If the Moon is full, it is inside the magnetotail," says Stubbs. "The Moon enters the magnetotail three days before it is full and takes about six days to cross and exit on the other side."

Human consciousness too is made up of electrical activity – which can be measured with an electro encephalograph – and a magnetic aura, or field of energy. A lot of people can feel this field of energy; for example, when you smile you can feel the field of buoyant, glowing energy extending into your aura like the energy field of a magnet.

I have often wondered why I am affected so much by the moon from three days before full moon to a few days after. The magnetotail provided me with the perfect explanation; as the moon charges up when within the tail and becomes much more electrical and magnetic, it is only normal that this increase in power should be felt on Earth.

We all know from astrology that each of the planets, and the sun and moon, have an influence on our feelings, emotions and consciousness. The moon affects our emotions because the moon influences water; just as the moon causes the tides, it exerts a pull on the watery components of our body, and we feel this as emotions. The body is made up of 70 to 80% of water.

Human consciousness is also affected by sun spots and the mass ejections from the sun's corona; these are what cause the solar winds of magnetic energy which affect the Earth's upper atmosphere and give rise to the Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights.

I feel it is beneficial if we extend our awareness to take in all these influences of the celestial bodies, as they all communicate with, and have an influence on, each other by the transfer of electrical and magnetic energy – which could also be called consciousness.



Our body has a field of energy – the aura – which is the same as the aurora or magnetic and gravitational field of the planet. We are all One, a part of the Universal Life Force; and it is natural to be aware of the greater cosmic system, which is as much a part of our consciousness as our brain is.

As human consciousness evolves and moves from the individual awareness to an awareness of greater integration within the whole cosmic system, we also expand our understanding of the unity of life and develop a love of all things, in the realization that We Are All One.

This full moon on October 14th, is in the cardinal sign of Aries which is ruled by the planet Mars. and Native Americans call this moon October - Hunter's Moon, Moon of Falling Leaves. This is a good time for us to become more compassionate of our fellow man; to come together as you would around a circle in a camp fire. Aries personalities draw attention because they have high spirits, great enthusiasm, and are honest and open. The astrological sign of Aries is a ram - consider this energy force and enthusiasm by accomplishing your goals and ram yourself to success.

Think of a full moon in Aries where there can be produced a lot of radiant, vitalizing energy that you can capitalize on for your personal growth. This is a period to take time out and reflect on your inner growth by initiating something or becoming enterprising. Aries energy means it's a good time to be creative in the sense of causing things to begin. It's all about enthusiasm and taking that energy and running with it - like a football player who is running towards his goal without anyone near him to tackle him down.

The Shanti Jatra Full Moon Festival 2008, will be in 'Full Swing' the coming Full Moon, October 14 with hundreds of people from all over the world converging in the mystical mountains of Nepal with the Mt. Everest Sunrise in sight, dancing to the hypnotic beats of Psychedelic Trance ... The Full Moon this October is also known as Sharad / Sharath Poornima and is closely associated with Krishna, Radha and the Gopis !