Indian Mars exploration missions

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Indian Mars exploration missions

India’s space agency ISRO is pursuing a series of missions to study Mars. The program is ongoing and currently focused on orbiter missions. So far, India has flown one mission that reached Mars orbit, but contact was lost with it in 2022. A second mission is planned for 2030 when the next Mars launch window opens.

Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM)
- Also known as Mangalyaan
- Launched on 5 November 2013 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre using a PSLV-XL rocket
- Cost about ₹454 crore (US$54 million)
- Intended to last about 6 months, but operated for over seven years
- Studied Mars from orbit; contact was lost in 2022

Mars Lander Mission (concept)
- A proposed second Indian mission to Mars
- Would fly in a lower orbit closer to the surface
- Planned payloads include a hyperspectral camera, a high-resolution camera, and radar to study the crust and recent geological activity

Mars UAV Marble (Martian Boundary Layer Explorer)
- A planned aerial explorer for Mars as part of Mangalyaan 2
- Would fly up to about 100 meters above the surface to study the atmosphere
- Payloads would include sensors for temperature, humidity, pressure, wind, electric fields, and dust
- A small rover would also be part of the mission

Mangalyaan 2 plan
- The Marble concept is tied to Mangalyaan 2, with a target launch around 2030

Current status and outlook
- MOM is the only mission that has flown to Mars so far; contact ended in 2022
- A second mission, including Mars aerial and surface exploration, is planned for 2030
- India’s Mars program continues to explore new ways to study Mars, including orbiters, landers, and aerial platforms