Illustrative      

Twelve years after India’s pioneering entry into Martian orbit, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has charted its next ambitious course with Mangalyaan-2, a mission aimed at achieving India’s first soft landing on Mars.

The official confirmation came from ISRO Chairman Dr V. Narayanan, who announced that the launch is planned for 2030.

This mission represents a major evolution from India’s first Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM), highlighting the country’s steady rise in the global space exploration landscape. With Mangalyaan-2, India seeks to join an elite club of nations that have successfully landed on the Red Planet.

The original Mangalyaan, launched on 5 November 2013, made India the first Asian nation to reach Mars and the first in the world to do so on its maiden attempt. Operated for more than seven years, the spacecraft yielded valuable data on atmospheric dynamics, surface composition, and methane presence before communication ceased in 2022.

Building upon those achievements, Mangalyaan-2 is envisioned as a multi-component mission featuring an orbiter, a lander, and potentially a small rover. Unlike its predecessor, which was limited to orbit-based observations, this mission aims to attain a controlled descent and surface analysis capability — a feat that, if realised, will showcase India’s growing mastery of interplanetary technology.

Mars’ thin atmosphere and complex terrain pose significant hurdles for any landing attempt. ISRO’s engineering teams at the Space Applications Centre (SAC) in Ahmedabad and the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) in Thiruvananthapuram are already engaged in design evaluations and simulation studies to create highly precise entry, descent, and landing (EDL) mechanisms.

The mission is expected to incorporate advanced propulsion systems for interplanetary transfer, refined autonomous navigation algorithms, and adaptive thruster controls to ensure a safe touchdown. ISRO is also developing new heat-shield materials and terrain-relative navigation sensors to improve landing accuracy amid unpredictable dust storms and temperature variations.

Consistent with ISRO’s recent collaborative strategy, the Mangalyaan-2 project will include international participation for payloads and shared scientific research. Coordination with institutions such as NASA, ESA, and JAXA is being explored for joint atmospheric studies, data integration, and post-landing sample analysis.

The payload suite is likely to focus on studying Mars' surface mineralogy, subsoil composition, and seasonal atmospheric changes. Scientists are particularly interested in gathering high-resolution imagery and spectroscopic data that could offer insights into the planet’s geological evolution and potential traces of past habitability.

Mangalyaan-2’s success will solidify India’s standing as a major spacefaring nation with capabilities extending beyond lunar and orbital missions. It will reinforce the technological foundation for future interplanetary expeditions, including potential sample-return or human precursor missions in the 2030s.

The mission also carries symbolic importance, representing India’s ability to execute complex, cost-effective, and high-impact scientific projects with indigenous innovation. Just as Mangalyaan inspired a generation of scientists and engineers, its successor stands poised to define the next chapter of India’s deep-space exploration journey.

Based On NewsX Report