Former ISRO Chief Somanath Joins AgniKul

Former Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Dr S Somanath has joined the Board of Directors at AgniKul Cosmos a Chennai-based spacetech startup. Dr Somanath brings decades of experience and expertise in launch vehicle systems engineering. He led ISRO through the landmark achievements like Chandrayan-3 lunar landing and Aditya - L1 mission.

The appointment came at the critical stage as AgniKul prepares for Mission 02 - a flight aiming recovery of an orbital-class rocket on Indian soil for the first time.

The mission will take place in two stages: First stage is the booster stage - It will separate after ascent and attempt a controlled descent and ocean recovery and upper stage will place the payload into orbit before converting itself into a functional in-orbit platform, rather than becoming inactive after payload deployment.

“I have watched Agnikul from close quarters for some time and what strikes me most is not just the ambition of what they are attempting, but the quality of the engineering thinking behind it. Mission 02 is a genuine technical frontier for India and in several respects, for the world. The convertible upper stage concept, combined with indigenous semi-cryogenic propulsion and a 3D-printed engine that can be produced in days is a coherent and defensible technical strategy. I am proud to support this team as they take this next step,” said Dr Somanath.

Agnikul cofounder and CEO Srinath Ravichandran adds,“Having him as an observer on our board means we have someone who has personally navigated the complexity of booster design, stage recovery and on-orbit operations at the highest level.”