Home ScienceSpace Exploration India and Other Countries Gear Up for Exciting Space Missions: Mars, Moon, and Beyond

India and Other Countries Gear Up for Exciting Space Missions: Mars, Moon, and Beyond

by Peter

India and Other Countries’ Upcoming Space Missions

Mars Missions

India is not the only country with ambitious plans for Mars exploration. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is preparing to send a satellite to the Red Planet in November 2013. The satellite will study Mars’ climate and geology from orbit.

NASA is also planning another Mars mission, called the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) mission. MAVEN will study how Mars’ atmosphere interacts with the Sun. The mission is set to launch in 2013.

Moon Missions

The European Space Agency (ESA) is planning to put an unmanned lander on the Moon in 2018. The lander will study the lunar south pole, which is a relatively unexplored region.

China is also planning to land a probe on the Moon in the second half of 2013. China has had a successful string of recent space missions, including their own Earth-orbiting space lab and the Chang’e 1 lunar orbiter.

Other Space Missions

Iran is planning to launch a rhesus monkey into space in the next month. This will be Iran’s first space mission involving a living creature.

NASA’s Curiosity Rover Landing

All eyes are on NASA’s Curiosity rover, which is scheduled to land on Mars in just a few days. The rover will study the Martian surface and search for signs of past or present life.

How to Catch the Curiosity Rover Landing

If you’re interested in watching the Curiosity rover landing, there are a few ways to do so. You can watch it live on NASA TV, or you can follow along on social media. NASA will be providing updates on Twitter and Facebook throughout the landing process.

More from Smithsonian.com:

  • Going to the Moon… Or Not
  • Hello Mars – This is the Earth!
  • A Bumpy Road to Mars

Additional Details on Upcoming Space Missions

  • India’s Mars mission: The Indian satellite is designed to study Mars’ climate and geology from orbit. It will launch in November 2013 and travel for 300 days before reaching Mars.
  • China’s Moon mission: China’s probe is designed to land on the Moon’s surface and collect samples of lunar soil. It is scheduled to launch in the second half of 2013.
  • ESA’s Moon mission: ESA’s lander is designed to study the lunar south pole. It will launch in 2018 and land on the Moon’s surface.
  • Iran’s space mission: Iran’s space mission will involve launching a rhesus monkey into space. The monkey will be equipped with sensors to monitor its vital signs.
  • NASA’s MAVEN mission: NASA’s MAVEN mission will study how Mars’ atmosphere interacts with the Sun. It will launch in 2013 and orbit Mars for one Martian year (about two Earth years).

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