Former ISRO chairman S Somanath, who led the successful Chandrayaan-3 lunar landing mission, has been appointed as the honorary chief technical advisor at Hyderabad-based startup Skyroot Aerospace.
Somanath, a launch vehicle expert, will support Skyroot Aerospace as it prepares to launch Vikram-1-1, a 23-meter rocket made from carbon composites. This is the first rocket of its kind in India and features a liquid-engine module to place satellites into orbit accurately.
The Vikram-1 mission builds on the success of Vikram-S, which Skyroot launched in 2022. Vikram-S was India’s first privately built rocket to reach space, developed with support from ISRO.
Skyroot also announced a new partnership with Axiom Space, which recently launched its fourth private mission to the International Space Station (ISS) on June 25. The mission included Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla as one of the crew members.
The Houston-based company will look into using Skyroot’s technology to send things like research equipment, data center modules, and other missions to low Earth orbit (LEO). These missions could go to the Axiom Space Station or be carried out separately.
“Launching satellites to orbit—a feat accomplished by only a handful of companies globally—requires the coming together of the very best minds, especially as we attempt it for the very first time as a private space startup from India,” said Pawan Kumar Chandana, cofounder of Skyroot Aerospace.
The former ISRO chief’s new role is advisory and honorary, and the company clarified that it is non-exclusive. “With decades of experience in building multiple launch vehicles and leading some of India’s most challenging space missions, his guidance will be invaluable as we gear up for the orbital launch of Vikram-1-1,” Chandana added.
As ISRO chairman from 2022 to 2025, Somanath led several important missions, including Chandrayaan-3 (India’s moon mission), Aditya-L1 (India’s first solar observatory), the development of the SSLV (Small Satellite Launch Vehicle), and tests for India’s Reusable Launch Vehicle project.
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