India sets sights on second Mars mission with advanced technology
India is planning an ambitious second mission to Mars, potentially launching as early as late 2024. The mission, known as the Mars Orbiter Mission-2 (MOM-2) or Mangalyaan-2, will include a rover and a helicopter, similar to NASA's Perseverance rover and the now-grounded Ingenuity. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) officials have also revealed plans for a supersonic parachute and a sky crane, to safely deliver the rover onto the Martian surface.
Aim to replicate NASA's success
The concept of a Mars sky crane, which will be used in the Mangalyaan-2 mission, was first introduced by NASA in 2012 for its Curiosity rover and reused in 2021 for the Perseverance mission. The Ingenuity helicopter was also part of the Perseverance mission, deployed onto Mars's surface during its journey. India aims to achieve similar milestones with this upcoming mission. If successful, India would be the third country to land a spacecraft on Mars after the US and China.
Mangalyaan-2 to carry advanced scientific instruments
Reports indicate that Mangalyaan-2 will carry at least four scientific instruments designed to study Mars's early history, analyze its atmosphere, and investigate a hypothesized dust ring around the planet generated by its moons, Phobos and Deimos. However, some key components of the mission are still under development. These include the multi-instrument helicopter, sky crane, and supersonic parachute. ISRO has yet to announce an official timeline for the mission.
India's first Mars mission was a historic achievement
India's first Mars mission, known as Mangalyaan or MOM, reached Mars in September 2014. This accomplishment made India the fourth entity to send an orbiter to Mars, after the US, the European Space Agency, and the Soviet Union. Notably, India achieved this on its first attempt and on a budget of $74 million, compared to NASA's MAVEN orbiter which cost about $670 million. The success of Mangalyaan was celebrated across India and even inspired several works in Indian cinema.
