The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and the European Space Agency (ESA) signed an agreement June 27 to include three European instruments on India’s first moon mission, Chandrayaan-1, ISRO announced.

Europe will contribute a low energy X-ray spectrometer from Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in the United Kingdom, a near infrared spectrometer built by Germany’s Max Planck Institute of Aeronomie, and an atom reflecting analyzer from the Swedish Institute of Space Physics.

Europe also will contribute to Indian experiments such as the high energy X-ray spectrometer.

Chandrayaan-1 is planned for launch by 2008 aboard India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle. The satellite will be placed into polar orbit around the moon and is expected to operate for at least two years.