‘Elon Musk a great man’: Isro chief Somanath praises SpaceX for catching Starship booster with ‘chopsticks’ | India News

NEW DELHI: Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) chief S. Somanath on Saturday praised Elon Musk and SpaceX for successfully catching a giant Starship booster with ‘chopsticks’, stating that Musk was “a great man doing fantastic work”.
Addressing the Convocation day of IIIT-Delhi, Somanath expressed admiration for Musk’s transformative impact on the space industry.
He noted that Musk’s innovative approaches, particularly with SpaceX’s recent rocket recovery methods, have sparked global interest and comparisons with Isro’s capabilities. Somanath emphasised that while there is a competitive spirit to match Musk’s achievements, the inspiration drawn from his work is significant for the future of India’s space endeavors.
“Musk is making heads turn with the type of rockets that he has captured with the chopsticks recently and people are asking when Isro is going to do this … Everyone is looking at Musk, what he is doing there and how we can come up with some fantastic idea that we can beat him. Of course, everybody wants to beat him, but he is above all of that. I think he is such a great man doing fantastic work. We are all inspired by this work. It is because of this that the space is becoming very attractive today,” said the Isro chief.
On October 13, SpaceX made significant advancements in rocket recovery technology with its innovative “chopsticks” system, successfully demonstrated during the fifth test flight of its Starship. This technique represents a pivotal step towards achieving rapid reusability in spaceflight.
It is expected to facilitate not only more frequent launches but also lower costs associated with space travel. Estimates suggest that Starship could eventually bring launch costs down to under $10 per kilogram, a dramatic reduction compared to previous systems like the Space Shuttle.
Somanath highlighted the growing enthusiasm among young people for space exploration, attributing this trend to advancements in technology and increased accessibility. “Young people are looking at space with great passion. We are looking at it in a manner in which the technology is becoming accessible to people … The application domain is growing. Also, its impact on the economy, employability, and job creation is growing. These domains are very important and that’s why the government has recently taken the initiative to open up the space sector, bringing in more private investment and private participation,” he added.
The recent reforms are pivotal in transforming India’s space landscape. They allow for 100% foreign direct investment (FDI) in various segments of the space industry, which is expected to significantly boost the Indian space economy from its current valuation of approximately $8 billion to an ambitious $100 billion by 2040. The establishment of the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Center (IN-SPACe) has been crucial in this transition, providing a regulatory framework that enables private companies to engage more actively in space activities.
Somanath pointed out that while certain aspects of space technology will remain regulated, there is a pressing need to democratize access to application domains.
“It’s a domain that cannot be kept controlled and regulated. Of course, there is some knowledge that needs to be controlled and regulated, but the application domains, doing work, creating value in this have to get out of those vaults that have been covering the space systems,” said Somanath.
Moreover, he acknowledged that ISRO continues to play a central role in India’s space ambitions while encouraging private players to contribute significantly. With over 400 private companies now involved in the sector.
(With inputs from agencies)