Mangalyaan-2 Mission: ISRO aims to land spacecraft on Mars making India only third country to do
Representative Image
Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has set its eyes on the Red Planet. Basking in the success of their historic Mangalyaan mission, ISRO has revealed its plans for Mangalyaan-2, their next ambitious Mars mission. With the successful landing of a spacecraft on Mars by the US and China, India may become the third country in history to do so. The major information was disclosed at a National Technology Day presentation where ISRO revealed their plans to land a rover on the Martian surface.
Landing Gear for Red Planet
Like NASA’s Perseverance rover, ISRO intends to use a sky crane. Especially crucial on a planet with difficult terrain like Mars, this cutting-edge technology enables a precise and controlled landing. The rover is gently lowered onto the surface by the sky crane, unlike conventional landing techniques that use ramps or airbags, guaranteeing that it is upright and prepared to start its mission. Engineers at ISRO are hard at work creating their own version of this technology especially for the Indian rover.
ISRO’s Martian Helicopter
Isro has further goals, though. A fully working helicopter made to fly in the thin Martian atmosphere is also being developed. Still in its conceptual stages, this rotorcraft will be furnished with a number of scientific instruments. With a nickname of “Martian Boundary Layer Explorer” or “MARBLE,” this aerial vehicle will be able to explore the special properties of the Martian atmosphere from heights of up to 100 metres.
Relay Satellite for Communication
A relay communication satellite will be launched before the launch by ISRO to guarantee seamless and continuous communication between Earth and the Mars mission. Launched atop the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, this satellite will function as a link between Mars and Earth, transmitting signals and enabling Earthly scientists to maintain communication with their Martian counterparts.
Understandably, contact with Mars isn’t instantaneous. Signal travel time between the two planets varies according to their relative positions in their orbits around the Sun. Signals can travel three to twenty-two minutes one way at their closest point, or opposition. Communication, however, can be far slower at their furthest point (conjunction), with signals taking anything from 6 to 44 minutes to travel one way. This relay satellite will guarantee a more steady information flow and assist to bridge this gap.
Mars Rover
Although specifics are yet unknown, ISRO is also working on a rover as a component of the Mangalyaan-2 mission. This rover is probably going to be furnished with a number of scientific tools to investigate the makeup of the Martian surface and any indications of past or current life. The rover, helicopter and sky crane working together mark a major advancement in ISRO’s space exploration capabilities.
An audacious advance for ISRO and Indian space exploration is represented by the Mangalyaan-2 mission. ISRO is pushing the envelope of its technological capabilities and joining the select group of countries actively exploring the Red Planet by trying to land a rover and deploy a helicopter on Mars.
