India - Space - India's Maiden Satellite Chandrayaan-1

Engineers from ISRO are fussing over last-minute checks of the Chandrayaan-1 satellite before it is sent to be placed atop a moon-bound rocket at the end of the month. The countdown has literally begun for the launch of India's maiden satellite to the moon. Named Chandrayaan-1, or Moon Craft 1, it has now been fully integrated and is undergoing final tests before being sent to the country's space port Sriharikota in the following few weeks to be hoisted moon-wards. This will make India the sixth country in the world to attempt such a challenging mission. Wrapped in this golden foil are the dreams of a billion people. These are the very first pictures of India's maiden moon craft as it stands fully assembled at the Satellite Center in Bangalore. (Photo by Pallava Bagla/Corbis via Getty Images)