India will launch it’s moon satellite ‘Chandrayan’ within a year, Indian Space Research Organisation chairman Dr G Madhavan Nair said here on Friday.

Speaking to news persons, Dr Nair said the satellite, weighing about 560 kilograms, would be launched by the middle of next year and would be placed in orbit 100 kilometres from the moon.

“The satellite would stay in orbit for two years and carry out a thorough study of the entire surface of the moon. The studies would include terrain mapping and spectrometric study of the minerals.

This would be the first study to cover the entire lunar surface for the intended resolution,’’ he explained.

Nair said the satellite would carry 12 instruments, including 6 from India, 4 from Europe and 2 from the US.

“The construction of the satellite had already started at Bangalore and it would be ready by the end of the year. It would be launched with India’s indigenous launch vehicle PSLV,’’ the ISRO chief said.

Replying to questions,  Nair said India’s manned mission to the moon was still ‘’a very long way away’’.

“We will start by putting a man in a capsule in space in 2015. A manned mission to moon will come only beyond 2020,’’ he predicted.

India would be in a position to send a satellite to Mars in six or seven years time. The mission will be scientifically very interesting, Nair said.

Nair said a detailed study was necessary to determine whether the ‘Ram Setu’ (Adam’s Bridge), the ancient structure between India and Sri Lanka was manmade or not.

“Satellite images showed the existence of an almost continuous structure just below the surface of the sea, sometimes barely a few feet, between the two countries. However, the composition of the structure is not known. A thorough investigation will be necessary to find out what it is made of,’’ he opined.

The structure is at the centre of a controversy as the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) is opposed to its demolition for the Sethusamudram Project.