India’s Space Odyssey: Exploring Venus and Mars in the Next 5 Years!
According to Dr. M Sankaran, Director of the UR Rao Satellite Center in Bengaluru, India’s space exploration efforts are reaching unprecedented levels as the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) sets its sights on Venus and Mars missions within the next five years. After accomplishing a smooth landing on the Moon and initiating a mission to investigate the Sun, ISRO is now preparing to conquer uncharted territories in outer space.
Dr. Sankaran, head of the satellite unit responsible for putting several Indian satellites into orbit, shared insights on the challenges and progress in an interview with NDTV.
Mysteries of Mars
While Dr. Sankaran acknowledged obstacles such as spacecraft overheating during entry into the Martian atmosphere and logistical obstacles to launching heavier payloads, he confirmed that internal discussions about mission concepts were already underway. He played down earlier concerns stemming from Chandrayaan-2’s failed moon landing, but emphasized new confidence in sensor technology.
LVM3 improvements
To meet the need for payload capacity, Dr. Sankaran announced that improvements to the Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (LVM3) were underway, with a 20-30 percent increase in capacity expected over the next two years. This development will not only pave the way for India’s missions to Mars and Venus, but will also improve ISRO’s capacity for commercial satellite launches, an important source of revenue.
Dr. Sankaran expressed optimism, stating, “I think we have an opportunity now… once it’s on target, we should be able to come up with a plan for a Mars landing mission. We have the outline… now we have to move forward.”
The planned Mars flyby marks India’s second foray into Mars exploration after the success of Mangalyaan in 2013. Dubbed Shukrayaan, the Venus flyby is India’s first venture to the planet.
As a further confirmation, Dr. Sankaran revealed that internal inspections of the Venus mission were already underway. He emphasized the cyclic possibilities of Mars and Venus flights and explained that the launch time depends on the relative positions of the Earth and the Sun.
ISRO chief S Somanath had earlier confirmed the composition of the Venus mission in September, revealing the ongoing development of the payload. In addition, ISRO plans to conduct studies analyzing the space climate, demonstrating India’s commitment to advancing scientific research beyond our planet.
