Ex-ISRO chief Somanath becomes Skyroot Aerospace’s honorary chief technical advisor

Former ISRO chief S Somanath

Former chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) S Somanath has taken on the role of Honorary Chief Technical Advisor at Skyroot Aerospace, country's leading private rocket developer.

In his new capacity, Somanath will advise Skyroot as the city-based startup prepares for the launch of its Vikram-1 launch vehicle, India's first privately developed launch vehicle capable of deploying satellites in Earth's orbit, a release from the firm said on Thursday.

The 23-meter-tall rocket is also India's first carbon-composite space launch vehicle and features a liquid-engine powered Orbital Adjustment Module that can precisely maneuver in the vacuum for last-mile delivery of satellites.

The upcoming launch builds upon Skyroot's successful technology demonstration launch in 2022 with Vikram-S – India's first private rocket to reach space.

Somanath's advisory role is honorary and underscores his commitment to nurturing India's emerging private space ecosystem.

The advisory position is non-exclusive, allowing Somanath to continue his other professional commitments.

With Somanath at the helm of the national space agency, India achieved a historic soft landing near the Moon's South Pole with the Chandrayaan-3 mission, launched Aditya-L1 (India’s first dedicated solar mission), developed and deployed the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV), and conducted successful landing experiments of the Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV-LEX), alongside several successful missions deploying satellites in Earth's orbit, the release added.