India approves Mangalyaan-2, paving the way for historic Mars landing
India takes a giant leap towards Mars exploration with the approval of Mangalyaan-2, its ambitious Mars landing mission
India’s space agency has given the green light for the Mars Lander Mission (MLM), also referred to as Mangalyaan-2, creating an opportunity for India to join the few other nations to have landed a spacecraft on Mars.
The MLM is building off the success of the Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) which made India the first Asian nation to make it to Mars orbit in 2014, showing India’s capability of interplanetary missions at an incredibly low cost.
The primary purpose of Mangalyaan-2 is to land a lander and rover on Mars to carry out more detailed studies of the atmosphere and surface properties of Mars. The study will be helpful for improving the science and contribute to planetary studies on a global scale.
The Mars Lander Mission is just part of India’s plan for a longer-term space exploration plan which includes an Indian Space Station (ISS), getting the first Indian astronaut to the moon, and future Chandrayaan missions. In addition, ISRO is developing a Next-Generation Launch Vehicle to support these efforts, among other goals.
On top of Mars, ISRO has other interplanetary missions in the pipeline, including the Venus Orbiter Mission and a collaborative ultraviolet astronomy mission with Canada. These missions are designed to establish India as a pioneer in space exploration.
If successful, the MLM will reinforce India’s standing as an emerging space power and make a significant contribution to global scientific exploration of Mars. The Mission is expected to generate international interest and partnerships for future missions.
With final approval before the Union Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the progress of the mission will be thoroughly examined, as well as its impact on our understanding of Mars and beyond.
