Skyroot Aerospace

Skyroot Aerospace Private Limited is an Indian private aerospace manufacturer and commercial launch service provider located in Hyderabad, Telangana.[1][2] The company was founded by former engineers and scientists from ISRO, DRDO, and various aerospace companies and it aims to develop and launch its own series of small lift launch vehicles.

Skyroot Aerospace
TypePrivate
IndustryAerospace industry
FoundedJune 12, 2018 (2018-06-12)
Founder
  • Pawan Kumar Chandana
  • Naga Bharath Daka
Headquarters
Hyderabad, Telengana
,
India
Key people
Pawan Kumar Chandana (Co-founder, CEO & CTO)
Naga Bharath Daka (COO)
ProductsVikram I
Vikram II
Vikram III
ServicesLaunch vehicle
RevenuePre-Revenue
Members
  • Pawan Kumar Chandana (CEO & CTO)
  • Naga Bharath Daka (COO, head avionics & GNC)
  • V Gnanagandhi (sr. vice president (propulsion))
  • V.Eswaran (director (solid propulsion)).
  • Mukesh Bansal (board of directors & advisor)
  • Amardeep (structures lead)
  • M Yagnanarayana (chief designer & lead (fluid control components))
  • Dr. A. Subhananda Rao (chief consultant & advisor (propulsion))
  • Ignatious C.A (adviser (avionics))
Websiteskyroot.in

History

Skyroot Aerospace was formed in January 2017 by former Indian Space Research Organisation scientists Pawan Kumar Chandana, Naga Bharath Daka and Vasudevan Gnanagandhi as well as a small group of entrepreneurs including CureFit founders Mukesh Bansal and Ankit Nagor.[3] Skyroot has raised $4.3 million, including from space and defence contractor Solar Industries, and is aiming to secure another $15 million in funding by 2021.

The company has been developing its first launch vehicle, the “Vikram-I,” which is on track for its initial launch around December 2021.[4][5] In August 2020, Skyroot first came into the limelight when it test-fired the Raman-I solid-fuel upper stage (named after C. V. Raman). This solid-fuel upper stage is a component of Vikram-I and Skyroot was the first Indian private entity to test such a stage.[6][7][8][9]

On 25 September 2020, Skyroot Aerospace unveiled the Dhawan-1 upper stage cryogenic engine that will power heavier-lift systems such as Vikram-II.[10][11] This is the first cryogenic engine in India that will use liquefied natural gas (LNG) as fuel; this fuel has the advantages of being clean, re-usable and suited for long duration space missions. Dhawan-1 is 3D printed and designed with a regenerative cooling configuration.[12]

On 20 November 2020, Skyroot Aerospace entered into a memorandum of understanding with Dhruva Space, an Indian private satellite manufacturer. On 22 December 2020, Skyroot tested the solid-fuel rocket engine Kalam-5, the first of five planned carbon-composite Kalam rocket motors which are expected to power its launch vehicles.[13][14][15] The test happened in Nagpur at a private test facility owned by Solar Industries, which is also an investor in Skyroot. In the name "Kalam-5", the 5 refers to the peak sea level thrust of 5.3kN.[16] The final engine in the series will be four times the size of Kalam-5.

Launch vehicles

The firm has been working on its Vikram series of expendable small lift launchers. Rockets are designed for very quick assemblies, as fast as 24 to 72 hours.[17]

Planned rockets in the series
Launch Vehicle Payload capacity First flight Total launches
SSPO
(500 km)		 LEO
(500 km; 45°)
Vikram I 225 kg (496 lb) 315 kg (694 lb) December 2021
(Planned)		 0
Vikram II 410 kg (900 lb) 520 kg (1,150 lb) TBD 0
Vikram III 580 kg (1,280 lb) 720 kg (1,590 lb) TBD 0

See also

References
  1. Sukumar, C. R. "Skyroot India's first private company to test upper-stage rocket engine". The Economic Times. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  2. Narasimhan, T. E. (12 August 2020). "Skyroot Aerospace first private company to test upper stage rocket engine". Business Standard India. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  3. CR Kumar; Raghu Krishnan (17 April 2019). "With a simpler rocket, Skyroot is eyeing the space". The Economic Times. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  4. Etherington, Darrell (12 August 2020). "India's first private space launch startup Skyroot succeeds with upper-stage engine fire test". Tech Crunch. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  5. "India's first private player to successfully test a homegrown rocket engine is on track for its first full rocket launch by 2021". Business Insider. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  6. "Hyderabad startup Skyroot Aerospace test-fires upper stage rocket engine 'Raman'". The Times of India. PTI. 13 August 2020. Retrieved 16 August 2020.CS1 maint: others (link)
  7. Pandey, Ashish (14 August 2020). "Hyderabad-based startup Skyroot Aerospace's Raman: India's first homegrown rocket engine". India Today. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
  8. Goyal, Shikha (17 August 2020). "First Indian start-up firm Skyroot Aerospace to test fire rocket engine 'Raman': All you need to know". Jagran Josh. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  9. "Skyroot Aerospace becomes first Indian startup to test upper-stage rocket engine". The Asian Age. 13 August 2020. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  10. Burgess2020-09-25T09:58:00+01:00, Molly. "Skyroot Aerospace unveils cryogenic rocket engine". gasworld. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
  11. Siddarth MP (25 September 2020). "Startup Skyroot Aerospace unveils India`s first privately developed Cryogenic Rocket engine". Zee News. Archived from the original on 25 September 2020. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  12. "Space startup unveils India's first privately developed Cryogenic Rocket engine". WION. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  13. "Skyroot tests solid propulsion rocket engine, aims at a rocket by 2021 end". The Economic Times. 28 December 2020. Retrieved 31 December 2020.
  14. https://techcrunch.com/2020/12/29/skyroot-successfully-test-fires-indias-first-privately-made-solid-rocket-stage/?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAABLNIvLdMUBoOHMYSMHx1aiZ3Jbg5ZNCvVqiOMnsmpnTrevSSXCGsvbvRI8BXo9qVpEYOCAP8Uv69rNumY5DZ0RFJKhyQTzEl9fFubBh5rA4Jxkdw070t9MjcreUbmJJejh4YwXTWSdTmnkGBitRXN-4U89eE48WlqWHyB4RMSMQ
  15. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VF6DgH1jxK4
  16. https://zeenews.india.com/india/skyroot-aerospace-becomes-first-indian-company-to-test-fire-solid-fueled-rocket-engine-2333360.html
  17. "Launch Vehicle". Skyroot Aerospace. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
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