"The Project will be completed by 2028-2030:" ISRO Director Nilesh M Desai on Mangalyaan 2

Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], October 8 (ANI): The Director of the Space Applications Centre of ISRO, Nilesh M Desai, provided a timeline of the Mangalyaan 2 project on Wednesday.
According to Desai, the Mangalyaan 2 project is expected to be completed by 2028-2030, and he has confirmed that work on it has begun.
Speaking to ANI, Desai said that Mangalyaan 2 will take 10 months to reach Mars. Following this project, India will join the group of 2-3 nations that have successfully reached Mars.
"Work on Mangalyaan 2 has already begun. The project is being given shape as we have imagined it to be. The project will be completed by 2028-2030... Mangalyaan 2 will be made to land on Mars. Landing on Mars is easier than landing on the moon because of its thin atmosphere. We will make use of parachutes and motorised vehicles to land easily. It will take 10 months for the Mangalyaan to reach Mars, and it will be completely controlled from Earth. India will be among the 2-3 nations that have landed on Mars...," said Desai.
During discussions about the timeline of Mangalyaan 2, the ISRO Director emphasised that India matched the standards of European and Japanese space agencies. He also highlighted India's efforts to achieve self-reliance in the space industry.
"I would say that the European Space Agency and Japan have become equal countries. ...We want to become the world's number one space agency, for which we will have to make some efforts... India is working towards a self-reliant space industry..." added Desai.
However, the ISRO Director also emphasised that, unlike Elon Musk's SpaceX, India has a long way to go to become cost-effective in launching satellites.
"In the last 2 to 3 years, you must be aware that the SpaceX company, established by Elon Musk, conducts launches at almost half the price of us. So, we are not as cost-effective as we were in the case of launching. But in the case of making satellites, testing, applications and payloads, we are still the most cost-effective in the world," added Desai.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) V Narayanan said that India is poised to stand with the developed spacefaring nations by 2040, with plans underway to achieve parity in launcher capabilities.
Addressing the India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2025 in the national capital, the ISRO Chief said, "By 2040, India will be in par with any other developed spacefaring nation in terms of launcher capability, in terms of satellite capability, in terms of scientific missions, in terms of ground equipment." (ANI)