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The Indian Space Research Organisation is hoping to launch a lunar mission by
2005, it announced last week. The plan is to place a crewless satellite in lunar
orbit using home-grown technology at a cost of £300 million. Experts in
Bangalore will spend the next six months examining the feasibility of the
project before seeking the approval of central government. But with 97 per cent
of the lunar surface already examined, sceptics are questioning what is to be
gained from such a mission.