New Delhi: A lone startup based in Hyderabad boldly ventured where no other Indian private company had gone before—space. That was last year. Now, Skyroot Aerospace aims to launch another rocket and put a satellite into orbit at half the cost of established companies.
Skyroot Aerospace is the brainchild of IITians: rocket engineer Pawan Chandana and software engineer Bharath Daka. Both joined ISRO in 2012 but decided to venture out on their own in 2018. Their latent spirit of entrepreneurship awakened when the Indian government released the Draft Space Activities Bill in 2017, which opened the skies to private companies. The announcement led to scientists across India becoming space entrepreneurs and startup CEOs. However, only Skyroot Aerospace has succeeded in launching a rocket so far.
Skyroot wants to become India’s SpaceX. The world took note when it successfully launched its 545 kg rocket, Vikram-S, in November 2022. This achievement put India on the map as a global contender in the commercial space business. As it marked the first instance of a private rocket launch in the country, the mission was named Prarambh, meaning ‘start’.
“A historic moment for India as the rocket Vikram-S, developed by Skyroot Aerospace, took off from Sriharikota today! It is an important milestone in the journey of India’s private space industry,” tweeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Since then, the startup has successfully tested two engines at ISRO’s Propulsion Complex (IPRC) in Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu, this year: the Dhawan-II, a 3D-printed cryogenic engine, and Raaman-II engine.
For Chandana, speed sets them apart from other startups. “We are able to build things very quickly. We have already launched our first rocket and are hoping to launch the next one, Vikram-I, this year,” said the CEO.
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Breaking boundaries
Skyroot Aerospace was the first startup to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with ISRO after the government allowed private firms to enter the space sector. Since then, over 100 startups have followed suit. Their work demonstrates how innovators can push boundaries that the government might not be able to.
While the launches are facilitated by the government, the rockets and satellites are commercially employed.
Skyroot Aerospace was also India’s first private space launch startup that succeeded in an upper-stage engine fire test in 2020, preceding the Vikram-S launch. The following year, it test-fired India’s first privately built cryogenic rocket engine, Dhawan-1, named after Indian rocket scientist Satish Dhawan. Unlike regular engines propelled by liquid for thrust, a cryogenic engine employs liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen at extremely low temperatures, which can be more challenging to attain and sustain.
This engine is expected to power the upper stages of its upcoming Vikram-II orbital launch vehicle.
“A cryogenic rocket stage is more efficient and provides more thrust for every kilogram of propellant it burns compared to solid and earth-storable liquid propellant rocket stages,” according to ISRO.
Despite being a private entity, Skyroot Aerospace frequently collaborates with ISRO and receives government support.
“We greatly benefit from ISRO’s testing facilities. Perhaps in the future, we might also collaborate on technology sharing,” says Chandana.
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Enabling India’s growth
India’s government-supported space missions are renowned for their cost-effectiveness. However, even though the country’s space budget has more than doubled in the past decade, the Department of Space, overseeing civil and military operations, has allocated just $1.6 billion through 2023. This is a fraction of NASA’s ($32.41 billion) and the Space Force’s ($26.3 billion) yearly budgets.
“India ranks among the top five nations in the space sector. Private sector contributions have been growing globally, especially after companies like SpaceX revolutionised the field,” says Chandana.
The Vikram series of rockets, featuring three variants for progressively higher payloads, holds promise. Vikram-I, expected to launch by year-end, should carry a 480 kg payload to Low Earth Orbit. Prométhée Earth Intelligence, a French space firm, has already expressed interest in deploying nanosatellites using Vikram series rockets. If all goes as planned, Vikram-II will lift off with a 595 kg payload in Low Earth Orbit and 400 kg to 500 km in sun-synchronous polar orbit (SSPO). Vikram-III supports an even heavier payload.
Skyroot Aerospace is gunning for the stars, unfazed by funding constraints. The startup, backed by Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund, GIC, claims to have raised $68 million. According to Chandana, it is “the largest [amount of funding raised] by an Indian startup so far”.
The startup positions itself as an affordable alternative for launching rockets and satellites into space. Like its competitors, Skyroot Aerospace is striving for the day when launching satellites will become as easy as booking a taxi.
(Edited by Theres Sudeep)