Skyroot Aerospace co-founder and CEO Pawan Kumar Chandana has become a symbol of India's growing private space sector after Vikram-I became the country's first privately developed rocket to reach space. Chandana, who once scored 51 marks in mathematics, later cracked the IIT entrance exam, joined IIT Kharagpur and worked at ISRO on the GSLV Mk III programme. In 2018, he co-founded Skyroot Aerospace with fellow former ISRO engineer Naga Bharath Daka. Today, the Hyderabad-based startup is leading India's private space revolution, proving that curiosity, determination and innovation matter more than early academic setbacks. (PC: X)

Skyroot Aerospace successfully launched Vikram-1, India’s first privately developed orbital rocket, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota on Saturday. The rocket completed all four stages and deployed its payloads successfully on its first attempt. The mission, called Mission Aagaman, is a major step for India’s private space sector. Vikram-1 can carry payloads of up to 350 kilograms into Low Earth Orbit. The launch also carried technology test payloads and symbolic items. Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the Skyroot team. The successful mission is expected to boost India’s commercial space industry and future satellite launches.

Indian-origin NASA astronaut Anil Menon has begun his first mission to the International Space Station (ISS) after lifting off aboard Russia's Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft at 8:17 PM IST yesterday. The spacecraft launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, carrying Menon alongside Roscosmos cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina. It successfully reached orbit and docked automatically with the ISS's Prichal module following a two-orbit journey lasting about three hours. According to NASA, the newly arrived crew will spend around eight months aboard the orbital laboratory conducting scientific research and technology demonstrations before returning to Earth in April 2027, completing Menon's maiden spaceflight mission.

India’s space programme is grappling with a growing talent exodus as more than 100 scientists have resigned or opted for voluntary retirement from the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) in recent months. The Department of Space has responded by tightening rules governing resignations and voluntary retirement for personnel involved in flagship missions, including Gaganyaan. The departures come amid rising opportunities in India’s expanding private space sector, where scientists are reportedly attracted by higher salaries, stronger career growth and greater professional recognition. The trend has raised concerns about retaining experienced talent within the national space agency as India pursues ambitious space exploration and commercial space objectives in the coming years. (PC: Generative AI by India Today)

India’s first privately developed orbital rocket, Vikram-1, built by Hyderabad-based Skyroot Aerospace, is scheduled for its maiden launch from Sriharikota on July 18 at 11:30 am. The seven-storey launch vehicle will carry four Indian and international technology demonstration payloads, marking India’s private sector’s entry into the global orbital launch market. The mission will evaluate propulsion, stage separation, guidance, navigation, control and overall flight performance. Designed to carry satellites weighing up to 350 kg into Low Earth Orbit, Vikram-1 features an all-carbon composite structure, 3D-printed engines and solid-fuel boosters. The mission follows Skyroot’s successful Vikram-S suborbital launch in November 2022 and aims to establish regular commercial launch capability.

The Department of Space has tightened resignation and voluntary retirement rules for Isro scientists after more than 100 experienced personnel reportedly left the organisation in recent months. Scientists working on critical missions, including Gaganyaan, Chandrayaan and SpaDeX, will now need approval from the Department of Space before leaving. The move follows concerns over the loss of mission-specific expertise, with several senior scientists among those who resigned. Isro Chairman V. Narayanan said replacements would take over important responsibilities, but the government aims to ensure that major national space projects are not disrupted by the growing number of exits. (PC: India Today)

Indian-origin NASA astronaut Anil Menon has shared his first message from the International Space Station (ISS) after arriving for an 8-month scientific mission. In a video recorded on his first day in orbit, Menon thanked his family, former SpaceX colleagues, the US Space Force and NASA for supporting his journey to space. He said the ISS would serve as a stepping stone for future missions to the Moon and Mars. Menon, the first NASA astronaut of Malayali heritage to travel to space, reached the ISS aboard Russia's Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft with 2 Russian cosmonauts.

Indian-origin NASA astronaut Anil Menon has arrived at the International Space Station after the Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft successfully docked. He travelled with Russian cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina. The crew will spend about eight months on the station before returning to Earth in April 2027. Menon will carry out scientific research on human health, artificial intelligence, semiconductor manufacturing and medical technology in microgravity. The mission will also include experiments in biology, physics, materials science and Earth observation. Scientists hope the research will support future Moon and Mars missions while also improving healthcare and technology on Earth. (PC: NASA)

Indian-origin NASA astronaut Anil Menon has begun an eight-month mission aboard the International Space Station after launching from the Baikonur Cosmodrome with two Russian cosmonauts aboard a Soyuz spacecraft. A physician specialising in emergency and aerospace medicine, Menon will conduct advanced scientific experiments while also serving as a research subject. His mission includes testing AI-assisted ultrasound technology for space healthcare, manufacturing high-quality semiconductors in microgravity, studying the effects of prolonged weightlessness on human health, and exploring space-based bioprinting of biological tissues. The research aims to improve medical care, advance technology on Earth, and support NASA's Artemis programme and future crewed missions to the Moon and Mars.

Indian-origin NASA astronaut Anil Menon will begin his first space mission on July 15. He will travel to the International Space Station aboard the Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft from Kazakhstan. The mission will last about 240 days. Menon will work with astronauts from the United States, Russia and Europe. He will carry out research on microgravity, artificial intelligence, heart health and tissue printing. The studies will support future missions to the Moon and Mars. They may also improve medical care on Earth. Menon, a doctor and engineer, was selected as a NASA astronaut in 2021 and is making his first spaceflight. (PC: X/Anil Menon)