New ISRO Chief Rocket Man Sivan K, A Farmer's Son, Takes On SpaceX | Read

India's "Rocket Man" Dr Sivan K, who was named the new chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation last month, is unfazed by the so-called cheap launches offered by Elon Musk's SpaceX. ISRO's rockets, he said, are cheap, robust and meet the nation's needs. The 60-year-old from Tamil Nadu, who was born in a farmer's family, has helped take on SpaceX's Elon Musk through the launch of 104 satellites in a single mission in February last year. The venture had placed India firmly on the map of commercial satellite launches. In an interview to NDTV, Dr Sivan said the next big thrust to expand ISRO's commercial ventures would be "Baby PSLV" - the smaller, modular rocket for on-demand launches. There is also a huge scope for re-usable rocket technology, another ongoing project, which would further reduce the cost of launch.