ndia's first unmanned lunar spacecraft,
Chandrayaan 1, has sent a probe on to the surface of the Moon.
The probe,
painted with the Indian flag, crashed into the Moon's surface at 2034 (1504 GMT), the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said.
During its controlled plunge, it took readings including measurements of the composition of the Moon's atmosphere.
The mission is regarded as a major step for India as it seeks to keep pace with other space-faring nations in Asia.
The BBC's Sanjoy Majumder in Delhi says the success of the mission has been hailed in India where many see it as another sign of the country's emergence as a global power.
Video journey
Earlier this week
Chandrayaan 1 began orbiting the Moon some three weeks after it was launched from a space centre in southern India.
The dropping of the Moon Impact Probe (MIP), weighing about 30kg, concludes the first phase of the mission.
For the next two years, Chandrayaan 1 will map a three-dimensional atlas of the Moon and also check for the presence of water-ice with the help of instruments built by India and other countries including the US, Britain and Germany.
For the next two years, Chandrayaan 1 will map a three-dimensional atlas of the Moon and also check for the presence of water-ice with the help of instruments built by India and other countries including the US, Britain and Germany.