Skyroot Aerospace, a Hyderabad-based Space technology startup, has become the first private company to formally enter into an agreement with ISRO and is set to benefit from the latter’s expertise and access facilities to test and qualify its small rocket ahead of launch next year.
The agreement was signed by R Umamaheswaran, scientific secretary at ISRO and chairman at Interim IN-SPACe Committee, and Pawan Chandana, CEO of Skyroot Aerospace.
“The Framework MoU will allow the company to undertake multiple tests and access facilities at various ISRO centers and avail the technical expertise of ISRO for testing and qualifying their Space launch vehicle systems and subsystems,” the Indian Space Research Organisation said in a statement.
Founded by former ISRO scientists, Skyroot is building the Vikram series of rockets to carry small satellites into space. The startup has already test fired its solid propulsion rocket engine named Kalam-5, a bigger version of which will power its rockets.
Along with Skyroot, other rocket startups, such as Chennai-based Agnikul Cosmos and Bengaluru-based Bellatrix Aerospace, are eyeing the growing global opportunity to build rockets and launch small satellites from Indian soil.
Last year, Agnikul Cosmos founder and CEO Srinath Ravichandran and ISRO scientific secretary R Umamaheswaran had signed a non-disclosure agreement to test and qualify its small rocket that is capable of launching 100 kg satellites into low earth orbit. A formal agreement regarding the same is expected soon.
