Hyderabad-based space startup inks pact with ISRO

Under the agreement, Skyroot Aerospace can access the facilities and technical expertise available in ISRO centres to proceed with its launch vehicle development programme

Hyderabad: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), on behalf of the Department of Space (DOS) has entered into a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) with Hyderabad-based startup Skyroot Aerospace, which builds small satellite launch vehicles.

The NDA will enable the company access facilities and technical expertise available in ISRO centres to proceed with Skyroot’s launch vehicle development programme. Skyroot representatives met Dr K Sivan, Secretary, DOS and Chairman, ISRO and he assured all support to the startup for testing and qualifying its launch vehicle.

R Umamaheswaran, scientific secretary, ISRO, signed the agreement on behalf of DOS and Pawan Kumar Chandana, CEO, Skyroot Aerospace signed the agreement from the company side. The NDA was signed in the presence of S Somanath, Director, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre and other senior officials of ISRO/DOS.

Pawan Kumar Chandana, co-founder & CEO, Skyroot Aerospace told Telangana Today, “Right now, our hardware is getting ready for testing and the only testing facility available in the space sector with all the capabilities is ISRO. We will get to utilise the launch facilities when we reach the launch stage. All this helps in getting access to the facilities of ISRO as well as there technical expertise.”

“We will soon have a memorandum of understanding outlining the timelines, hardware that we will have access to and other details. The Department of Space initiative will help us take our activity forward,” he added.

The company founded by former ISRO scientists, Pawan Kumar Chandana and Naga Bharath Daka has created about 100 direct and indirect jobs so far. The company is getting ready to launch its first rocket later this year to put commercial satellites into space. The launch vehicle ‘Vikram-I’ is under manufacturing and is targeted for launch in December.

 

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