India’s private space ambitions are set for another milestone as former Isro chairman S Somanath has joined Chennai-based space startup Agnikul Cosmos as an Observer on its Board of Directors, just as the company prepares for its most ambitious launch yet.
Mission 02 aims to attempt two technologies that have never been demonstrated in India before. One has to do with recovering an orbital-class rocket booster and the other with converting the rocket’s upper stage into an operational platform in space.
The appointment comes at a crucial time for Agnikul, which is looking to move beyond simply launching satellites and towards developing reusable launch technologies that could significantly reduce the cost of accessing space.
REUSABLE ROCKETS IN INDIA?
Mission 02 will use a two-stage version of Agnikul’s Agnibaan launch vehicle.
After separating from the upper stage, the first-stage booster will attempt a controlled descent before being recovered from the ocean.
At the same time, the upper stage will remain operational in orbit instead of becoming space debris, demonstrating what Agnikul calls a “convertible upper stage.”
According to Agnikul Cosmos, the technology has been patented in India, the United States and Europe.
Reusable rockets have transformed the global launch industry by allowing expensive hardware to be flown multiple times instead of being discarded after a single mission.
For India, Mission 02 represents an important step towards building indigenous reusable launch capability as the country’s private space sector expands following the government’s space-sector reforms in 2020, which opened launch activities to private companies.
WHY APPOINTMENT OF EX-ISRO CHIEF MATTERS
Somanath led Isro during several landmark missions, including Chandrayaan-3, Aditya-L1, the development of the LVM3 heavy-lift rocket and key milestones in the Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme.
His expertise in launch vehicle design and propulsion is expected to strengthen Agnikul’s efforts as it attempts technically demanding recovery and in-orbit operations.
Agnikul first made history in May 2024 by launching Agnibaan SOrTeD, India’s first controlled suborbital flight from a privately built launchpad at Sriharikota.
With this latest development, Somnath’s name could also be etched into the nation’s space history books.
If Mission 02 succeeds, it would mark India’s first serious demonstration of reusable rocket technology by a private company, potentially laying the foundation for lower-cost satellite launches and a more competitive domestic space industry.
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