Twelve years after India created history by reaching Mars with its first Mangalyaan mission, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has announced an even more ambitious plan, to land on Mars for the first time.

ISRO Chairman Dr. V. Narayanan confirmed that Mangalyaan-2 will be launched in 2030. The mission will not only orbit Mars like before but also try to make India’s first-ever soft landing on the planet’s surface.

India’s first Mars mission, Mangalyaan or Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM), was launched on November 5, 2013. It made India the first Asian country to reach Mars and the first in the world to do so successfully on its very first attempt. The spacecraft worked for more than seven years and sent back valuable information about Mars’ atmosphere, surface, and minerals before communication was lost in 2022.

Now, Mangalyaan-2 aims to take India’s space journey even further. Unlike the first mission, which had only an orbiter, this new mission will include an orbiter and a lander, and possibly a small rover. Scientists are working on new technologies to make sure the spacecraft can land safely in Mars’ thin atmosphere. This involves developing stronger propulsion systems, precise navigation, and reliable landing gear.

“Mangalyaan-2 is being designed not just to orbit Mars, but to land on it,” ISRO officials said. The mission represents a big step forward in India’s goal to expand its presence in deep space and planetary exploration.

Early design and research work for Mangalyaan-2 has already started at ISRO’s Space Applications Centre and Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre. ISRO is also considering working with other countries for sharing scientific instruments and data, as it did in past missions like Chandrayaan-3 and NISAR.

If Mangalyaan-2 succeeds, India will join the United States, China, and the former Soviet Union as the only countries to have landed on Mars. The mission will help India advance in deep-space navigation, imaging, and surface analysis. The planned 2030 launch will mark a proud moment for India, celebrating the success of Mangalyaan-1 and showing how far the country has come in space exploration.