India to Land Mangalyaan-2 on Mars: ISRO Awaits PM Modi’s Approval

India is setting its sights on an ambitious new mission to land a spacecraft on Mars, potentially making it only the fourth nation to achieve this remarkable feat. The Mars Lander Mission (MLM), also known as Mangalyaan-2, has been approved by the Space Commission and is currently awaiting final approval from the Union Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Building on the success of the Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM), also called Mangalyaan, which successfully entered Martian orbit in 2014, ISRO aims to elevate its exploration efforts to a new level. MOM demonstrated India’s capabilities in interplanetary missions at a relatively low cost, making ISRO the first Asian country to reach Martian orbit and the first in the world to do so on its first attempt.

Ambitious Plans for Mangalyaan-2

ISRO has outlined ambitious plans for the Mars Lander Mission, indicating that while the mission is currently at a conceptual stage, it represents a significant aspiration for the Indian space agency. The mission aims for a more sophisticated scientific exploration of Mars, with plans to deploy a lander and rover on the Martian surface.

The Mars Lander Mission is part of a broader vision to expand India’s space exploration endeavors. This vision includes setting up an Indian Space Station by 2035 and sending the first Indian to the Moon by 2040. ISRO is also planning a series of Chandrayaan missions and developing a Next Generation Launch Vehicle (NGLV) to support these ambitious goals.

Future Interplanetary Missions

In addition to Mars, ISRO has other interplanetary missions in the pipeline, including a Venus Orbiter Mission and a joint project with Canada for UV Astronomy. The success of these missions would solidify India’s position as a leading spacefaring nation and contribute significantly to our understanding of the solar system.

As ISRO awaits the final approval from Prime Minister Modi’s cabinet, the anticipation for Mangalyaan-2 grows, with the potential to further establish India’s prominence in space exploration and scientific research.