Category: Space

  • Interview with LPSC Director

    When Arun Raj shared the link of his interview with the LPSC Director (along with Shorts on Gaganyaan and NGLV), I shared the video link with Gemini and asked it to give me a post I could post here. It did a really poor job. So, I decided to listen to it and translate and put this post together.

    The interview is with Liquid Propulsion Systems Center (LPSC) Director, N Jayan. He was formerly Project Director, Next Generation Launch Vehicle (NGLV) at VSSC.

    The theme of World Space Week (October 4 – 10) this year is Rocket Revolution. Jayan says this is a timely and critical theme for ISRO this year.

    NGLV

    ISRO has been working on improving the present rockets. Work has been progressing on improving the cryogenic stage and inducting the semi-cryogenic engine into LVM3 to make it capable of lofting payloads of 5 tons into orbit.

    But, we need a rocket revolution. We can no longer just keep making improvements in the current rockets to meet the new requirements. Requirements for satellites and spacecrafts have changed. We now need Heavy Lift Vehicles. We need rockets capable of lofting 30 tons to Low Earth Orbit.

    NGLV will be 100 m high, which is more than twice the height of the rockets we have so far, and more powerful. All design and configuration work is completed. It has three stages.

    We have generally used solid, earth-storable, cryogenic fuels but this is a new fuel that we will be using. You have seen many other heavy lift vehicles from other countries with reusability, specially in the last 10 years using fuels like liquid oxygen and liquid methane engines.

    NGLV will have 10 such engines (Liquid Oxygen + Liquid Methane). 7 in the first stage. 3 in the second stage. Cryogenic stage C20 will be on the third stage.

    Design work is completed. Work on the engines is progressing in LPSC. Vehicle structural design, tests, hardware drawings and manufacturing-related work is progressing in various ISRO centers. The development of a launch pad for NGLV is in progress at Sriharikota.

    This is a low-cost rocket. We are moving away from technology and moving into it as an industry. If we have to compete with other countries, rockets must be low-cost. We must master reusability of rocket stages as this leads to low-cost of the rockets. We must bring reusability to our rockets as soon as possible.

    70% of the cost of the NGLV is in the first stage. If we can recover this stage, we can reuse this stage again and again. We have designed all aspects of this stage with this requirement in mind.

    After NGLV, we are working on the Lunar Module Launch Vehicle (LMLV). We are proposing that as a project. We have only started initial work on this project. We will add two stages as strap-on to the first stage of the NGLV. So, the first stage will have 21 engines. It will be capable of lofting 90 tons into Low Earth Orbit or 30 tons into Trans Lunar Injection orbit.

    Landing a rocket is much more difficult than putting a satellite into orbit. A high velocity rocket returning to Earth has to be killed. It has to withstand friction (and the resulting high temperature) that is experienced when it returns to Earth. We have to develop materials that can withstand it. We then have to bring the rocket in for a controlled landing at a designated site. It is very difficult. It is difficult but it has been done.

    We are incorporating this in the design-phase of the NGLV itself. There are many ways of landing a rocket. One is return to launch site. This is difficult because the rocket has a long distance to return and hence it will require more fuel. Second is barge recovery. We place a barge in the sea at a precise location. It is easier for the rocket because the distance it has to cover can be reduced. The problem with this approach is building the barge, returning the barge with the landed rocket to the coast, and the associated infrastructure development is costly. The third approach is chopstick recovery that you have seen with Starship. This does away the requirement for landing legs.

    We are studying the best way to recover the first stage of the NGLV right now.

    ADMIRE

    We are thinking of using L40 stage to test Vertical Take-off and Vertical Landing. Instead of testing the whole vehicle, we can test a small stage to master the technology. We have to find a way so that the thrust of the vehicle and mass of the vehicle are the same so that the vehicle floats.

    We have started with tests of throttling the Vikas engines. We were able to throttle it down from 62 bars to 25 bars. We were able to reduce the thrust from 100% to 40%. We have planned a series of missions where it is flown to different heights and try to achieve controlled landing. Once we learn the technology, we can adapt it to NGLV, etc. Engine testing-related work is completed. Work is in progress on the landing gear. We will be doing the VTVL experiments soon. The test could be done in a few months. Perhaps within a year. We will be doing hop test soon.

    LVM3

    LVM3’s capability must be improved to beyond 5 tons if we have to launch Chandrayaan 4. We have been planning this for a long time. One, we have to improve C25 stage using the CE20 engine. We are operating the CE20 engine at 19 tons. We are upgrading the C25 stage to a C32 stage. It can carry 32 tons of fuel. We are changing the length and dimensions of the tanks. We have made minor changes in the CE20 engines so that it can operate at 22 tons. This helps increase the mass capacity by 350 kg.

    We are replacing the earth-storable L110 stage with Liquid Oxygen (Cryogenic) and Kerosene (Earth-storable, hence semi-cryogenic) combination Semi-Cryogenic stage that can operate at a thrust of 200 tons. We have developed Vikas at 80 tons. This is a direct jump to a 200 tons engine.

    We recently completed the Power Head Test. Leaving aside the combustion chamber, we have tested the rest of the assembly. This system has to deliver the fuels at the correct flow rate and desired quantity into this combustion chamber. We tested that the quantity and flow rates were correct with the Power Head Test. We have tested this till 200 tons thrust.

    Work is in progress on the combustion chamber which should be ready in 1-2 months. Once the combustion chamber is attached to the power head, it becomes the full engine. In a few months after that, we should be able to test the full engine. We have plans for that. We plan to complete the full development of the engine and test the stage in 1.5 years.

    Chandrayaan 4 is planned for 2028. We want to test this engine in a flight before that.

    Reasons behind the Delay of Semi-Cryogenic Engine

    We had started work on the SCE in 2010. At that time, the cryogenic engine on the GSLV-D3 failed. Once that failed, the focus shifted to make the cryogenic engine project successful. We had worked on both cryogenic and semi-cryogenic engines.

    It was 2014 by the time GSLV succeeded. At the same time, development of LVM3 and CE20 engine became the focus. The development of SCE was thus not a primary focus area. Once LVM3 was successful, the full focus shifted to SCE development.

    The biggest challenge here was the material technology. We were handling materials ISRO had not handled before. We were building an Oxidiser Rich Pre Burner. In cryogenic engine, it is usally fuel-rich and so materials are easier to handle. A hot gas that is rich in oxidiser destroys most of the material. The material is not able to withstand this environment.

    India did not have technology in handling the material needed to withstand this oxidiser rich environment. We did not have experience in welding, brazing, etc. We faced a lot of issue with fabrication of the material. The material we fabricated would not withstand the pressure test and hence we lost a lot of material and hardware. We developed many specimens and studied them. We learned to work with this material called high-nickel alloy. We have solved all of these issues now.

    Gaganyaan

    Gaganyaan G-1 will fly a month after the flight of the NVS-03, expected in the end of October. Rocket stages are at Sriharikota. Stacking is in progress. Reviews are in progress. Orbital Module is undergoing some final tests in Bangalore. Orbital Module will be moved to Sriharikota thereafter.

    LPSC is working on the Environment Control and Life Support System (ECLSS). It has to give astronauts a comfortable living conditions. Temperature, Radiation protection, Humidity Control, maintaining the levels of oxygen, handling water and food supply, and waste mangement.

    ECLSS on G1 will be experimental and for gathering data. Some part of the ECLSS is in the Crew Module and some in the Service Module. This integration and testing is completed.

    Work is progressing on G2 as well at LPSC. The fully functional ECLSS will be flown on G2. Testing of the systems is in progress at LPSC. By the time of G2 launch, ECLSS system will be ready incorporating changes according to our experience in G1.

    Electric propulsion

    Electric propulsion is 5 times more efficient than chemical propulsion. If we consider 5 ton satellite with chemical propulsion satellite, we can realise the same satellite with a mass of about 3 to 3.5 tons for the same purpose.

    Satellite propulsion is used for orbit raising and station keeping. This saves on mass of the fuel in the satellite. This reduces the cost of launch to almost half.

    We are using a technology where gases like Xenon and Argon are ionized and accelerated by an electric field. We are in very advanced stage with electric propulsion at ISRO. We have developed engines with multiple thrust levels – like 75 mN, 18 mN and the most important is the 300 mN stationary plasma thruster.

    The 300 mN thruster development and qualification is completed. It will fly on the TDS-01 satellite on the PSLV-C63 mission. The thruster and satellite are tested and are ready in Bengaluru. The thruster will be used for all operations of the TDS-01 satellite.

    We are building thrusters for micro-satellites and high power thrusters for larger satellites. We have started work on the high power thruster project. We have developed 1 N thruster for bigger satellites.

    Once successful on TDS-01, we are planning another TDS-02 mission with an improved version of the 300 mN thruster. Once successful on these two missions, electric propulsion will slowly be implemented in all of our satellites. These can be developed in 6 months to a year.

    Launch Frequency

    For increasing the launch frequency, we must increase the number of industries we welcome into the sector in a profitable way. We must be able to reduce the cost of future rockets like NGLV. We must be able to invite international customers. We must develop our industry towards that end. We are discussing with industry.

    We must be able to build 100 engines in a year as against 5-6 engines in a year. Just like building Maruti cars in a production line. Only large industries will be able to build a production line. We have spoken to industry about this during the NGLV Industry Meet. They are enthusiastic and ready to develop the infrastructure for the same.

    We need to be able to test multiple engines at the same time. This could mean 5-6 bays in which 4-5 engines are tested at the same time in each bay. Design of building such a facility at Mahendragiri are in progress. 1-2 engines can be tested in a week.

    We are looking at integrating the manufacturing process under a single roof. Currently, the parts are being made elsewhere and there is delay in transportation. If the full manufacturing process comes under one roof, an industry produces a finished engine comes out just like a car or a bus.

    Building propellant tanks in Sriharikota, integrated with engines, and launched in Sriharikota is also being considered. We are working on implementing such a model to improve the launch frequency. Something like an assembly line system. We have to also reduce transportation time.

    New Technology

    Technology is limited only by your imagination. Our youth can think in new ways. There will be failures. But, one spark can lead to new innovations. Space is moving from being a technology to an economic industry. If Indian human resource is utilized to develop new technologies and a space ecosystem is built, then it has the potential will transform India just like IT revolution did. This is what we are doing with Indian startups, hand-holding, etc.

    NGLV is 80-90% built using additive manufacturing. Additive manufacturing has a big role to play in mass production of engines. NGLV has been designed with this in mind.

    AI centers are opened in many ISRO centers. It is used from defect detection, design, and testing (testing data is fed to AI to reduce failures).

    The biggest challenge in rocket propulsion technology is building a rocket with materials that are not exotic. This is important for it to be mass-produced.

    Air-breathing propulsion like Scramjet engine is another challenge.

    Our final dream is a single stage to orbit. A rocket goes into orbit and returns just like an aeroplane. Development of propulsion systems that are hybrid air-breathing and rocket based combustion combined cycles. We have started work on this. Youngsters in our units are looking for such challenging tasks.

    Satellite electric propulsion efficiency can be improved by 20 times. Theoretically, it can be 25-30 times.

    We are planing a green propellant on-board a POEM payload.

    We are working on nuclear electric propulsion system.

    Chandrayaan 4 will use higher thrust chemical propulsion engines. Engines have been defined, thruster development is almost in its final stage. For Chandrayaan 5, will use higher thrust engine than Chandrayaan 4. We are using 3.1 kN engine instead of 500 N engines. We have built a prototype hardware for the same and tested them. There is very little technical uncertainity as these are mainly upgrades.

    — End of Interview —

    Feel free to leave any corrections in the comments. Will be happy to incorporate them here.

  • ISRO’s Multiple Power Centers

    ISRO announced and successfully launched the GSLV-F17 mission after my last blog post. I am not claiming my blog post had any role in the launch or the success thereafter. Only, that the launch happened.

    It seems that there were efforts on to undermine ISRO by not letting it launch missions that were ready and already at Satish Dhawan Space Center (SDSC, Sriharikota).

    It seems that the questions raised by Madhavan Nair (in Malayalam, in English) and (perhaps) in parallel by Unions within ISRO (another story) about the privatisation of the full range of ISRO launch vehicles (PSLV and LVM3).

    This is in response to a speech given by the Chairman of IN-SPACe, Pawan Goenka –

    You will note the rocket behind him that is branded as IN-SPACe in the video. Usually rockets carry only two names – ISRO and India. The news story written by India Today actually makes it sound worse when they paraphrase him.

    This led to this clarification from him on X:

    However, going against the spirit of this separation of powers, IN-SPACe has been “productionalising” LVM3 and handing over operations of Kulasekarapattinam space port.

    This makes it look like there are multiple power centers (Pawan Goenka and Dr. V Narayanan) within the Department of Space.

    Even the release of this clarification by the Chairman, IN-SPACe makes it look like the Secretary of Department of Space cannot speak for himself or that Goenka has a bigger say in how things are run.

    While I was writing this, another un-signed clarification came from ISRO. Again, its not clear from whom within ISRO is this statement from. Is it from the Public Relations Officer, the ISRO Chairman, the Secretary, Department of Space, the Chairman, IN-SPACe?

    India’s private sector has its own growth trajectory to follow. While there have been successes – these are too small and will not help in missions of national importance. ISRO must be allowed to pursue those missions at the minimum until the private sector can develop its own prowess.

    I feel that the private sector is at least a decade away from developing that prowess. At the very least, wait till they can deliver three missions demonstrating this prowess.

    For this, the institutions within the Department of Space must work. The direction for this must come from the top – the Indian Parliament. We have a love for working in legal grey areas but we do not have any way to protect the ecosystem when the system implodes.

  • What ails the Space Sector today?

    Arun Raj K M whose articles and videos I have linked to here, earlier, has written an article that is a follow-up to the interview he did with former ISRO Chairman, Madhavan Nair. Google Translate gives a decent English translation of the article.

    The lack of clarity between the three important pillars of the Department of Space – the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO – the science and technology lab), the New Space India Ltd. (NSIL – the commercial arm), and Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe, the regulator of the non-governmental entities).

    Internally, there may be clarity about each entity’s role. But, externally, the signals are mixed.

    ISRO had two back to back failures of the workhorse PSLV. This led to a lot of internal boards being created to investigate the failures. Even the National Security Advisor got involved. ISRO seems to be ready with satellites and launch vehicles. But, it does not seem to have got the nod to launch.

    In the past, an internal Launch Authorisation Board after consulting with the Space Commission would give these nods. IN-SPACe is not believed to have a say in giving nods for ISRO launches. But, there is no clarity if they are now involved. When the article says that the government has not given a nod, we have no idea about which arm of the government is giving the nod.

    The less said about NSIL, the better. An announcement calling for the post of a head for NSIL was floated in August 2025. It still does not have a head for the past 5 months.

    IN-SPACe has a really clear mandate, posted on their own website. But, it’s chief has recently being doing the work that NSIL should be doing. They made a call for productionalize LVM3 and for handing over operations of Kulashekarapatinam to the private sector. This has given rise to speculation that there is a power struggle between Pawan Goenka and Dr. V Narayanan.

    There was no mention of Narayanan in the programme published for National Space Day celebrations.

    Missions of national importance are falling behind – remote sensing satellites, communication satellites, navigation satellites, scientific missions, and building national capability in launch vehicles and satellite technologies.

    Despite recent demonstrations by Skyroot and upcoming technical demonstration missions from space start-ups, I don’t think they are in a position to replace the whole gamut of missions that ISRO used to run and operate.

    In my estimation, they may be a decade away from that capability. They may be two decades away from the capability to replace the services that ISRO offers to the nation today.

    I also agree with what Madhavan Nair said in the interview. We need a clear division of labour within the Department of Space. The Space Activities Bill could bring that if drafted well. We need the Space Commission to be the top space body in the country until the Space Activities Bill can be drafted and passed in Parliament.

  • Madhavan Nair on what ails ISRO

    Former ISRO Chairman, Madhavan Nair on what ails ISRO in this Malayalam interview.

    This is an important reality check. We don’t have enough people speaking up like this in current leadership.

  • HEX20 Profile on Asianet News

    Arun Raj K M did a nice profile of HEX20, a Kerala-based space startup.

    Here are the highlights from that story in English. These are translations made by Gemini. I’ve added a few links that could help you understand the backstories behind the names like Mayavi and Dinkan.

    1. News Anchor: Mayavi and Dinkan are the names of new satellites built by a Keralite startup. This is the next leap for HEX20, which successfully completed two CubeSat missions in a short period. Based in Thiruvananthapuram, this small startup is exploring new opportunities in the space market through the innovative concept of ‘CubeSat as a Service’.
    2. Arun Raj: Their business model helps other companies conduct in-orbit technology demonstrations using CubeSats. The satellite bus (chassis) and core technologies belong to HEX20, allowing clients to integrate their own experimental or observational payloads as needed. HEX20 opens up massive opportunities for companies aiming to execute complex space missions. Without the huge costs and complexities of building a full satellite from scratch, clients can evaluate their technology’s capabilities and refine their hardware at lower risk.
    3. HEX20 has launched two CubeSats into space so far: Nila last year, and KOYO (Kinetic Optical Yaw Observer) this past July. Both were launched aboard SpaceX Falcon 9 Transporter rideshare missions. KOYO was built for Taiwan’s National Central University.
    4. Dr. Manu Mohan (Tech Manager, HEX20): KOYO stands for ‘Kinetic Optical Yaw Observer’. It primarily carried payloads from Taiwan’s National Central University. As it orbits Earth, the satellite tumbles, so the initial payload was meant to measure its angular velocity or tumbling rate. We planned an operational lifespan of 6 months. According to UN guidelines, satellites in orbit must de-orbit within 25 years; at an altitude of 590 km, we expect it to naturally de-orbit in 5–6 years.
    5. Thomas C. Francis (Mechanical Engineer): For instance, KOYO is a 3U CubeSat measuring 300 mm x 100 mm x 100 mm. It gets deployed in space from inside a canister deployer. The first task is making sure it fits precisely into the deployer through accurate manufacturing. To withstand launcher vibrations and shocks, we conduct rigorous vibration and simulated space environment testing.
    6. Muhammed Saydali (Senior Electrical Engineer): We categorize our satellite buses into two main platforms based on mass and application: AX and NX. The NX platform accommodates satellites in the 20–50 kg range, whereas KOYO and Nila are built on the AX platform.
    7. Anamika A. Kamath (Electrical Engineer): The immediate upcoming mission is NILA-3, an In-Orbit Demonstration (IOD) testing a water-steam propulsion system developed by UK-based OOMSpace. That will launch within a few months this year. Following that are Mayavi and Dinkan. MAYA-V1 stands for ‘Multi Application Yearly Assimilated Vehicle 1’, which will form a series of satellite buses. DINK-N1 stands for ‘Direct Imaging Network Node 1’ and marks our entry into the 50 kg microsatellite class. We are targeting a late 2027 launch for these.
    8. Abhijith Sureshkumar (Ground Station Engineer): HEX20’s ground station is set up at the nearby Marine Engineering College. We currently operate two ground station setups capable of handling both UHF commercial and amateur bands. Since future missions like MAYA-V1 and DINK-N1 demand higher data rates, we are expanding our ground station capabilities to support higher frequency bands.
    9. Arun Raj: While many space startups keep mission data confidential, HEX20 stands out by making real-time KOYO telemetry available to the public via koyo.hex20.space.
    10. Shinjith George (Senior Electrical Engineer): We maintain a Class 8 cleanroom suited for integrating satellites up to 30 kg. Having finished KOYO, we are currently integrating NILA-3 here. Environmental tests—such as vibration and thermal-vacuum testing—are conducted at the IN-SPACe facility in Ahmedabad.
    11. Arun Raj: Beyond Low Earth Orbit (LEO) missions, HEX20 plans to expand into deep-space missions and larger satellite platforms. Collaborative missions with international partners, including the UAE Space Agency, are also in the pipeline.

  • Salvaging Starship

    SpaceX’s Starship Flight 13 is adrift in the Eastern Indian Ocean. The commentators expected it to explode but it did not. It just sat there – floating in the Ocean.

    Watch a minute of that splashdown in the video above to see how crazy this was. The ship continued to transmit on-board cameras views via Starlink after splashdown!

    Elon Musk announced that ships were going out to try and tow the ship back to port.

    Some ship watchers are now following this mission more closely. A YouTube channel called What’s Going on with Shipping? made a nice video about the challenges of an out in the ocean towing mission. As he says, the Norwegians are being sent out to sea to try and tow the ship back to port.

    I loved watching this especially since I have worked in a shipyard way back in 2011.

  • Vikram 1 Mission Aagaman Successful

    Vikram 1 lifted-off as if in a hurry from the First Launch Pad on 18 July 2026 at 12:05 PM. It cleared the launch pad and headed to orbit and placed two satellites in orbit. We now have India’s first successful launch of a launch vehicle by a non-governmental entity.

    I live-tooted on Mastodon where things remain calm. People just went crazy on X. A stream of congratulations followed.

    Before lift-off

    I have been recovering after a surgery earlier in the week. Hence, my father was also at home. I casted the webcast on YouTube on my TV. I was active on WhatsApp, Mastodon, and X.

    The webcast commentary frequently spoke over the callouts. You could hear the callouts better on the X webstream. However, I was not able to cast the X webstream on the TV.

    The lift-off reached a hold 5 minutes before lift-off scheduled for 11:30 AM. We saw that it was a Navigation Monitoring Failure hold. After a few minutes of discussions, the Automatic Launch Sequence was re-started with the lift-off time set to 12:05 PM. There were some anxious faces in the Mission Control Center.

    Countdown and Lift-off

    I breathed the first sigh of relief when the countdown went beyond the 5 minute mark. As the countdown went into 5 second call outs to each second countdown to zero, there was a great sense of being part of history.

    I felt there was a brief pause before the launch vehicle leaped off the launch pad. Lift-off and clearing the launch pad was an important launch milestone. The launch vehicle had not exploded on or off the launch pad. That was an achievement!

    The camera angle immediately after lift-off felt weird. The cheers from the Skyroot Aerospace team went over the calls for MaxQ. The graphs were textbook for the first two stages.

    There were some beautiful on-board camera views. The blue Earth just beyond the plume of the solid stage was a sight to behold.

    Trouble (that did not affect the overall launch) seems to start after the Stage III cutoff. There was a combined coast phase where the spent third stage flew with the fourth stage. When the third stage separated, it seemed to push towards the fourth stage and hit it gently.

    There seemed to be worry also when there seemed to be a temporary loss of signal from the vehicle a little after fourth stage ignition and well before satellite separation.

    It may have been because the signal switch between Indonesia and Australia or because the stage may have rolled.

    We got back to images of the Earth in the background. There was another round of celebration. More followed when the satellites separated. The indications on the screen seemed to indicate they had planned somethings that didn’t work but they skipped mentioning them until they happened.

    Payloads on-board Vikram 1 Mission Aagaman
    Dawn of a new era of private Indian rocketeers

    The image of the Sun rising over the payloads seen through the Cosmic diamond was just a goosebump-inducing experience.

    I switched off the webcast after the end of the stream with the announcement of completion of a mission. I then hung out on X asking questions and listening to answers.

    Payloads

    Grahaa Space announced that it has achieved mission objectives.

    Cosmoserve Space said that “The robotic petals which were supposed to open could not do so due to an unusual settling of the petals which might have been caused by a combination of extreme space conditions.”

    There was nothing heard about the Skyroot’s SCOPE satellite.

    There was independent confirmation of mission success by Space Force.

    Congratulations and God Speed! Skyroot Aerospace.

    The live webcast was taken down and a new trimmed video was uploaded after the Prime Minister’s mobile number leaked on the live webcast.

  • Skyroot’s Historic Launch

    I understand if you could not be a part of history in 1980.

    https://x.com/i/status/2073705836665516043

    I hope you will take the time to watch the attempt on 18 July 2026 at 11:30 am (IST). India’s launch of the first private sector-built launch vehicle from Sriharikota. Watch here.

  • Vikram 1

    Before the launch of Vikram 1, I wanted to put together what is known from various online sources about the launch vehicle and the various payloads that will fly.

    The first launch by a private launch vehicle from Indian soil is on the horizon. The latest NOTAM put out seems to point at a launch sometime after July 12 (and latest by August 4) from the First Launch Pad at Satish Dhawan Space Center, Sriharikota. NOTAMs can change. The first mission of Vikram 1 is the Flight Test 1 or Mission Aagaman (Arrival).

    [Update [10 July 2026]: The latest NOTAM puts the launch at after July 18.]

    Vikram 1 is a four stage launch vehicle. The first three stages are solid and the fourth stage is liquid. The first three stages are powered by the Kalam 1200, Kalam 250, and Kalam 100 engines respectively. The fourth stage is called an Orbital Adjustment Module is powered by four Raman 2 engines.

    Skyroot Aerospace has been building a launch vehicle since their first test of Kalam 5 in December 2020. Their subsequent tests tested out bigger size solid motors – the Kalam 250 in March 2024. They also worked on the liquid fuelled Raman 2 engines since July 2023.

    Visit the Skyroot Aerospace YouTube channel for some wonderful videos.

    Skyroot Aerospace’s first launch was the Vikram S. Named after Dr. Vikram Sarabhai—the father of India’s space program—it successfully reached a peak altitude of 89.5 km during its historic maiden flight on November 18, 2022, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre. They launched from their own launch pad.

    There have been reports in regional media about the launch as the rocket segments moved from their factory in Hyderabad to Sriharikota. The fuel that the solid stages were to be used were to be filled at ISRO Solid Propellant Plant (SPP) at Sriharikota.

    Skyroot announced the payloads on 6 July 2026.

    Dcubed (Deployables Cubed GmbH) is a German NewSpace hardware manufacturer headquartered near Munich, specializing in in-space manufacturing and deployable space technologies. They are widely known for producing high-performance micro-actuators, release nuts, launch locks, and deployable solar arrays designed to maximize payload power while minimizing launch volume. Dcubed plans to demonstrate its proprietary space hardware technologies: the uD3PP (micro Dcubed Pin Puller) and the mD3RN (micro Dcubed Release Nut).

    Grahaa Space (legally registered as zSpaze Technologies Pvt. Ltd.) is a prominent Bengaluru-based Indian spacetech startup focused on Earth observation. Founded by former ISRO scientist Dr. Loganathan Muthuswamy and ex-IBM/Dell executive Ramesh Kumar V, the company is building an advanced constellation of nano-satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) designed to stream near-real-time, high-resolution geospatial video data.

    Their first mission, Solaras S2 which flew on South Korea’s HANBIT-NANO operated by Innospace launched on December 23, 2025, from the Alcântara Space Center in Brazil due to a launch failure. This is their next mission.

    Cosmoserve Space is an emerging Indian space technology startup specialized in Active Debris Removal (ADR) and space sustainability. Founded in 2025 by former ISRO scientist Chiranjeevi Phanindra, the company is headquarted in Hyderabad. They are developing autonomous, robotic spacecraft designed to safely de-orbit dead satellites and dangerous orbital clutter.

    The founders page on the Cosmoserve website puts Skyroot’s founder Pawan Chandana as a Founding Partner. Pawan gets to play a role in both putting satellites in orbit and helping with their end of mission.

    Cosmoserve released their mission patch in a video on LinkedIn. Varun Guru posted a nice explainer on how the mission is expected to work on X.

    There is very little known about the satellite that Skyroot has built.

    Cosmos Diamonds is sending a lab grown orbit into space. Watch this video for more:

    I hope they also reveal the story behind the micro sculpture. I was able to find the website of the artist Ajay Kumar Mattewada.

    While the focus will primarily be on the launch vehicle, I had fun learning about these ‘payloads’ as well.

  • Wrote a Chapter in a Space Book

    I am happy to announce that my chapter, “The second Space Age is here. Where is India’s place in it?” has been published in India and The Second Space Age, a new e-book released by The Hindu Group.


    For decades, India’s space program operated strictly under the Sarabhai doctrine, focusing on frugal engineering and immediate socio-economic utility. Today, however, we are navigating the complex transition from a state-led monopoly into a hybrid ecosystem. The book brilliantly captures the rockets, rivalries, and unfinished rules of this frontier, exploring everything from the nuances of dual-use technologies to the legal ambiguities of cross-border liabilities in orbit.

    In my chapter, I take a look at how India is engineering its position within this new global landscape. I unpack our strategy: the deliberate shift where ISRO transitions into a high-end R&D engine, handing over mature, operational technologies to a maturing private sector. I explore the geopolitical implications of India’s decision to sign the Artemis Accords. By choosing this commercially driven, decentralized framework over the China-led International Lunar Research Station (ILRS), India made a strategic choice. I don’t think we signed only an Accord; we pre-qualified our private startups to plug directly into a multi-billion-dollar global supply chain.

    The e-book is available for free to digital subscribers of The Hindu Group or can be purchased on Amazon. If you are interested in the strategic intersection of deep tech, global commerce, and national policy, I highly recommend checking out the entire collection. I would love to hear your thoughts on India’s trajectory in the comments!

    Thanks to Vasudevan Mukunth for the opportunity to write. I feel great to have contributed to a work with so many great space writers and thinkers.

    I also loved the cover!