Pawan Kumar Chandana is an Indian scientist and space entrepreneur. He is the co-founder of Skyroot Aerospace, a private aerospace manufacturing company founded in 2018; he is also the company’s CEO and CTO (Chief Technology Officer). He has been working as a scientist with ISRO for more than five years. In 2020, he was selected into the Forbes 30 Under 30 list released by Forbes Asia. Skyroot Aerospace is the first Indian private company to test-fire a multi-rocket propulsion system.
Wiki/Biography
Pawan Kumar Chandana was born in 1991 (31 years old; as of 2022) in Hyderabad, Telangana state, India. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur. Later, he received his MSc in Thermal Science and Engineering from IIT Kharagpur.
appearance
Height (approximately): 5′ 9″
Hair color: black
Eye color: black
Pawan Kumar Chandana images
family
wife
Pawan Kumar Chandana married Nirupama Chandana on October 10, 2019.
Pawan Kumar Chandana and wife Nirupama Chandana
Profession
Indian Space Research Organization
In September 2012, he started working as a scientist at the ISRO Rocket Design Center (VSSC) in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. While with ISRO, he worked for five years on the GSLV Mk-II rocket, one of the largest and heaviest launch vehicles made in India. He served as a systems engineer for GSLV Mk-3 and S200 booster rockets. Before leaving ISRO, he was appointed as Deputy Program Manager, Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV). He quit ISRO in June 2018 after working for more than five years.
Tiangen Aerospace
In July 2018, he co-founded Skyroot Aerospace in Hyderabad, India, with Naga Bharath Daka, another ISRO scientist. Their company makes launch vehicles. Indian rocket scientist Vasudevan Gnana Gandhi, founders of CureFit Mukesh Bansal and Ankit Nagor and a few other businessmen helped Pawan and Naga set up Skyroot Aerospace. On November 20, 2020, they signed a memorandum of understanding with another Indian aerospace manufacturer called Dhruva Space. Skyroot Aerospace is the first Indian startup to sign an inaugural agreement with the Indian space ministry, under which the company has access to ISRO’s facilities and expertise and can test systems and subsystems of its launch vehicles. On May 20, 2021, Skyroot Aerospace raised $11 million in Series A funding from Greenko Group, Solar Industries, Whatsapp chief business officer Neeraj Arora, Myntra and Cult.fit founder Mukesh Bansal, Sutton Capital , Vedanshu Investment and more. On January 27, 2022, they raised US$4.5 million in Series B financing, with investors including Google founding board member Ram Shriram’s Sherpalo Ventures, former Google executive Amit Singhal, Wami Capital, and others.
Skyroot aerospace logo
Raman-1
On July 30, 2020, Skyroot Aerospace successfully test-fired a hypergolic fuel upper-stage engine named Raman-1. The engine is named after Indian physicist CV Raman. Skyroot is the first private company to test such an engine.
Kalam-5
On December 22, 2020, Skyroot tested the Kalam-5, a solid-fuel rocket engine. The test was conducted at a private testing area in Nagpur. The 5 in Kalam-5’s name indicates a peak sea-level thrust of 5.3 kN. The rocket engine is named after APJ Abdul Kalam.
Kalam-100
On May 19, 2022, Skyroot announced that Vikram-1’s rocket stage Kalam-100 has successfully completed a full test launch. Vikram-1’s third stage, Kalam-100, generates a peak vacuum thrust of 100 kN (or about 10 tons) and has a burn time of 108 seconds. The Kalam-100 rocket stage uses high-strength carbon fiber structure, solid fuel, new thermal protection system and carbon ablation nozzle. In November 2022, media reported that this was the largest rocket stage designed, manufactured and tested by a private company and the best rocket stage of its size.
Image of Kalam-100 rocket stage
Dhawan-1
On September 25, 2020, an upper-stage cryogenic engine named Dhawan-1 was unveiled, which is built to power heavy lift systems including Vikram-II, a small lift launch vehicle. It is named after Indian mathematician and aerospace engineer Satish Dhawan. It is India’s first cryogenic engine and uses liquefied natural gas (LNG) as fuel as it is clean, reusable and well suited for long-term space missions. Dhawan-1 is made entirely from 3D printing and uses superalloy for regenerative cooling. On November 25, 2021, Dhawan-1 was successfully test-fired using liquefied natural gas (LNG) and liquid oxygen (LOX). It was tested at a test site provided by Solar Industries, which also invested in Skyroot Aerospace.
We are pleased to announce that we have successfully test-fired India’s first privately built fully cryogenic engine ‘Dhawan-1’ which is a major milestone
100% 3D Printed 100% Made in India Future Fuel – Liquefied Natural Gas
Check out the clip: https://t.co/zffy4ti2Lj#metronidazole pic.twitter.com/ktKGAs9o7n
— Skyroot Aerospace (@SkyrootA) November 25, 2021
Vikram
Vikram is a family of small launch vehicles. The series is named after ISRO founder, Indian physicist and astronomer Vikram Sarabhai. In February 2021, Skyroot Aerospace partnered with Bellatrix Aerospace to use Bellatrix’s orbital transfer vehicles and Vikram series launch vehicles. In an interview, when asked how the Vikram series differs from other small satellite launch vehicles, he said:
Such is the simplicity of rockets. It is a simple rocket that can be built, assembled and launched very quickly. Then there’s the cost. It will be much cheaper than other rockets in similar fields on the international market. ”
Vikram-S is the first launch vehicle in the series and is expected to be launched between November 15 and 19, 2022. It is a single-stage suborbital launch vehicle expected to carry three customer payloads and help with testing and testing. Verify most of the technologies of the Vikram series of space launch vehicles.
India’s first private rocket, Vikram-S, is preparing to be launched from Sriharikota between November 15 and 19, 2022, to learn about its propulsion system – Kalam 80, which was successfully test-fired on March 15, 2022. Stay tuned.#palambu #OpeningSpaceForAll pic.twitter.com/N2auqfx18W
— Skyroot Aerospace (@SkyrootA) November 13, 2022
On November 18, 2022, Skyroot Aerospace launched Vikram-S, the first private rocket launched by India.
Team Skyroot dedicates today’s historic success of India’s first private rocket launch to the space revolution brought about by the vision of His Excellency the Prime Minister @narendramodi lucky.
we appreciate @isro and @INSPeIND Thank you for their valuable support in this landmark milestone.#palambu pic.twitter.com/sbpbcI1s0T
— Skyroot Aerospace (@SkyrootA) November 18, 2022
Vikram I is the second rocket in the series, weighing 290 kg for SSPO (Sun Synchronous Polar Orbit) and 480 kg for LEO (Low Earth Orbit). The third launch vehicle in the series is Vikram II, weighing 400 kg for SSPO and 595 kg for LEO. Vikram III is the fourth aircraft carrier to be launched, with a weight of 560 kg for SSPO and 815 kg for LEO.
Images of Vikram I, Vikram II and Vikram III
Awards
- ISRO Best Innovative Product Award 2016 for invention of modern torque limiting tool for safe fastening of space launch vehicle hardware
- Won the ISRO 2016 Best Innovative Concept Award for its high-performance rocket hardware vibration isolation solution
- Won the Institution of Engineers Aerospace Engineering Department Award in 2018
- Skyroot Aerospace wins National Entrepreneurship Award 2020, Government of India
Pawan Kumar Chandana wins National Entrepreneurship Award 2020
- Skyroot Aerospace wins Pride of Telangana – Startup Achievement Award 2021
Awarded the Pride of Telangana – Startup Achievement Award 2021
- Skyroot Aerospace Team Wins 2021 Aegis Graham Bell Award Jury’s Choice Award 2020 Innovation Category
- Won the Best Innovator Award at Telangana State Industry Awards 2021
Pawan Kumar Chandana wins the Best Innovation Award at Telangana State Industry Awards 2021
- Skyroot Aerospace wins National Technology Startup Award 2022 for cryogenic, liquid and solid propulsion technologies from the Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India
Won the 2022 National Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Award
Facts/Trivia
- In 2022, Pawan Kumar Chandana appeared on the cover of India Today magazine. He was selected as one of the 100 Young Achievers by India Today.
Pawan Kumar Chandana appears on the cover of India Today magazine 2022
- In September 2021, Skyroot Aerospace was ranked seventh on Linkedin’s list of top startups in India 2021, making it among the top 25 emerging companies.
Tiangen Aerospace Team
- In an interview, Pawan talked about how he chose ISRO over studying abroad and said:
Without thinking much, I went for the interview and luckily got selected. Despite my relatively low academic performance, I was lucky enough to be admitted – the other three selected were among the top few. ”
- According to sources, Pawan Kumar Chandana is considered India’s Elon Musk.
- Skyroot Aerospace’s mission statement is –
Affordable, on-demand and reliable travel to space. At Skyroot, our mission is to open space for everyone by pushing the boundaries of today’s technology. We are working towards a future where space is part of our lives, a transformation that will transform humanity in unprecedented ways. ”
- He is proficient in a variety of technologies, including Abaqus, AutoCAD, Modeling, ANSYS, Matlab, Catia, and more.
- In July 2019, he delivered a TEDx talk on “Space Colonization—The Future of Humanity.” In December 2019, he gave another TEDx speech, in which he talked about “not passion, obsession is the key”.
Pawan Kumar Chandan gave a TEDx talk in December 2019
- In an interview, when asked about Skyroot Aerospace’s plans and ultimate goals, he said:
The toughest problem to be solved in the next decade is reducing the cost of launching satellites or people into space. This is our focus. Once costs fall significantly, new areas will be opened for space-based services. The goal is to create a space-based economy. Today we have an earth-based economy. We think resources are only available on earth, and that’s because we can’t go to space at a very low cost. In the long term, we want space flight to be as cheap as air travel so that anyone can access space. Whether it’s for space tourism or taking advantage of the resources there. There are a large number of planets, comets, and asteroids in space, as well as a large number of easily accessible metals and resources. When space becomes existential, access to space becomes easier. We can create a space economy where humans can travel and live. Expanding humanity into space is the ultimate goal. ”
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education