Did India forget about Mangalyaan?
In 2013, India became the fourth country to successfully send a spacecraft to Mars orbit. The Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM), also known as Mangalyaan, was a low-cost mission that achieved its goals far beyond expectations. MOM orbited Mars for over eight years, collecting data and images that helped scientists learn more about the Red Planet. There was even a movie released in 2019 named Mission Mangal marking the story behind Mangalyaan.
So why does India not have a Mars orbiter today?
Image credits: Engineer’s Garage
There are a few reasons. First, the MOM was a one-off mission. It was funded by the Indian government as a way to demonstrate India’s space capabilities. Since then, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has focused on other priorities, such as developing launch vehicles and satellites for communication and Earth observation.
Second, sending a spacecraft to Mars is a very expensive undertaking. The MOM cost about $73 million, which is a fraction of the cost of missions launched by other space agencies. However, it is still a significant amount of money for India, which is a developing country.
Third, the journey to Mars is long and challenging. It takes about six months to travel from Earth to Mars. This means that any Mars mission must be carefully planned and executed. ISRO is still developing the capabilities to launch and operate complex missions like this.
Despite these challenges, ISRO is still committed to exploring Mars. The agency is currently planning a follow-up mission to MOM, which is expected to launch in the early 2030s. This mission will carry more advanced instruments and will conduct more in-depth studies of Mars.
In the meantime, India is continuing to develop its space capabilities. The agency is building new launch vehicles and satellites, and it is also working on developing technologies for human spaceflight. With continued investment and support, ISRO is well-positioned to make significant contributions to the exploration of Mars in the years to come.
Above provided is the Natgeo documentory on Mangalyaan 👆
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