S. Somanath, former Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) from January 2022 to January 2025, has joined Chennai-based Agnikul Cosmos as an observer on its board. He worked in India’s space programme for nearly 40 years.
Agnikul Cosmos and Agnibaan
- Company: Chennai-based private space technology firm developing small orbital launchers.
- Agnibaan: Two-stage orbital-class launch vehicle designed for small satellites and dedicated rides to low Earth orbit.
Mission 02 — booster recovery & upper stage
- Booster recovery: Mission 02 plans a controlled descent of the first-stage booster with ocean recovery on Indian territory.
- Upper stage role: Convertible upper-stage architecture intended to continue operations after payload release as an on-orbit platform.
Patents & technical features
- Patent coverage: Convertible upper-stage architecture patented in India, the United States and Europe.
- Technology areas: Launch vehicle design, booster recovery systems and on-orbit operations for reusable or extended-use upper stages.
IASPOINT Booster Facts
- ISRO: Indian Space Research Organisation, India’s national space agency.
- Orbital-class rocket: A launch vehicle capable of placing payloads into Earth orbit.
- Two-stage rocket: First stage provides initial lift; second stage completes acceleration to orbital velocity.
- Booster recovery: Retrieval of a rocket’s first stage after launch for reuse or examination.