France, March 5 -- India is gearing up for its second trip to Mars, but the mission is also likely to carry along a hardy helicopter that will buzz through the wafer-thin atmosphere of an alien world.

Jayadev Pradeep, a scientist with India's government-run Space Physics Laboratory, told a recent webinar that a space drone planned for a Mars mission will carry payloads for the planet's aerial exploration.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has not given details but local media and international space journals said the launch planned for 2031 will transport a helicopter besides a wheeled rover to the Red Planet and added that the rotorcraft is still a concept.NASA's lead

The Indian project has been inspired by NASA's Ingenuit...