Indian rocket blasts off for country’s first space-docking mission

An Indian-made rocket has blasted off from a launch site north of Chennai, carrying two satellites that are being tested for space flight.

Climbing is essential for a trip to the Moon or for supporting the space station.

Declaring a “successful” launch, Indian Space Research Organization director Sreedhara Somanath said the rocket “put the satellites in the right orbit”.

India hopes to become the fourth country to have such technology, after Russia, the United States and China.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already announced that he wants to send a man to the Moon by 2040.