Moonshine

As India joins the moon mission club, a look at earlier aspirations to explore it and the games of political one-upmanship it has led to. There have been 60 moon missions so far

Space wars: USSR vs USA

8226;In 1959, the Soviets Luna I was the first to escape gravity and pass near the moon. On September 14, 1959, Luna 2 became the first man-made object to reach the moon. On October 7, 1959, Luna 3 first photographed the otherwise occluded far side of the moon. In 1966, Luna 9 became the first to achieve a lunar soft landing and transmit pictures from the lunar surface while Luna 10 became the first unmanned vehicle to orbit the moon .

8226; NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration was established by US on July 29, 1958. Yuri Gagarin8217;s 1961 space flight had President Kennedy resolve that an American should reach the moon by the end of the decade. The Apollo programme, the only manned mission till date, resulted in six landings between 1969 and 1972. On December 24, 1968, Apollo 88217;s crew became the first humans to see the far side of the moon with their own eyes.

Dates with the moon July 20, 1969

Apollo 118217;s Neil Armstrong became the first man to set foot on the moon. December 7, 1972: Apollo 178217;s was the last manned landing and with it, the Apollo programme ended. In all, 24 American astronauts travelled to the moon, while 12 walked on the surface.

1958-1965

USA attempted 18 unmanned landings8211;three were successful. The USSR tried 22 times, of which four were successful.

Unmanned missions in flight

8226;The last two months have seen three new missions: Japan8217;s Selene or Kaguya mission, launched on September 14, 2007

8226; China8217;s Chang8217;e-I, launched on October 24, 2007

8226; India8217;s Chandrayaan-I, launched on October 22, 2008

Flags on the moon

If successful, India will become the fourth country after the US, Russia and Japan to place its national flag on the moon.

Future missions

Story continues below this ad

Along with USA8217;s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter8211;in March 2009, it will investigate the possible existence of water in Shackleton crater8211;Chinese and Russian missions have been planned till 2012

Planned manned missions India plans to land two Indians by 2015 while Japan plans a moon base by 2030. USA, China and Russia have plans of their own.

The stake

The political one-upmanship that marked initial lunar explorations, of going where no one else has gone before, has largely given way to a planned and strategic control over extra-terrestrial resources.

Privatisation

With private initiatives like the Google Lunar X prize, a 30 million competition to land a privately crafted robotic craft capable of roaming the lunar surface for at least 500 metres, the race to the moon is not likely to remain confined to nations alone.