India's first unmanned lunar spacecraft Chandrayaan-1 successfully landed the Moon Impact Probe on the moon and has already sent first pictures from the lunar surface.

The Indian flag is all set to mark its presence on the lunar surface for the first time on Friday as a moon probe with the tri-colour painted on it will detach from Chandrayaan-1 and descend onto the earth's natural satellite.

After a successful launch on October 22, India's first unmanned lunar spacecraft finally reached its intended orbit.

The next big operation would be to release the Moon Impact Probe on the Moon surface and plant the Indian flag there.

Even as Chandrayaan-1, India's first unmanned spacecraft to the moon, enters the lunar orbit Saturday, one Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) scientist says the moon is well on its way to becoming the best international space station.

Can countries engaged in exploration and exploitation of the moon introduce plant and animal life there? The issue is back in focus as India's first unmanned lunar spacecraft Chandrayaan-1 gets ready to drop a probe on to the moon's surface.

Preparations for the next major manoeuvre will begin soon to enable the spacecraft enters lunar orbit on November 8 and positions itself about 100 km from the moon's surface.

The fourth orbit-raising manoeuvre puts the spacecraft in a more elliptical orbit with its farthest point from earth being 2,67,000 km.

India's first unmanned lunar spacecraft Chandrayaan-I on Sunday entered deep space after crossing 1,50,000 km from the earth on way to the moon, a space agency official said.

Several NASA scientists - of Indian origin as well as foreigners - are knocking the door of Indian Space Research Organisation looking for opportunities to work in future 'desi' space missions following the success of Chandrayaan-I launch.

The first orbit-raising manoeuvre was performed on Thursday morning when the spacecraft's 440 Newton liquid engine was fired for about 18 minutes. With this, Chandrayaan-I's apogee (farthest point to Earth) has been raised to 37,900 km.

India's first lunar orbiter has continued its long journey to the moon as operations planned by the Indian Space Research Organisation scientists for raising its orbit went on satisfactorily.