Indian Unmanned Mission to Moon to Carry NASA Instruments

An Indian unmanned mission to the moon will carry two scientific instruments designed by the U.S. space agency, NASA, to find minerals and ice on the lunar surface.

The deal was signed Tuesday, by NASA administrator Michael Griffin and Indian space agency ISRO's Chairman G. Madhavan Nair in the southern Indian city of Bangalore.

BizVantage – Serious business, investment and technology intelligence for a serious advantage.
Try the free, no-hassle 6 month trial!

The mission has been named Chandrayaan-1, and is set to launch in 2007 or 2008. It will map the lunar surface using an array of sensors.

This deal is being seen as another sign of the increasingly close ties between New Delhi and Washington after decades of distance during the Cold War era.

Chandrayaan-1 also will carry scientific instruments from European research centers.