Meet Prithvi Sanghani, engineer who helped develop Vikram-1's autopilot system
What's the story
Prithvi Sanghani, a young engineer from Gujarat, was instrumental in developing the autopilot control system for Vikram-1. The rocket was launched by Indian space start-up Skyroot Aerospace on July 18. The maiden orbital mission, dubbed "Mission Aagaman," took off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota with several customer payloads and in-orbit experiments.
Career path
Sanghani comes from a family of farmers
Sanghani hails from a family of farmers in Jamnagar, Gujarat.
She had no direct link to the space industry as a child but was passionate about engineering and wanted to work on technologies that could have a national impact.
After completing her engineering degree in Rajkot, she chose an unusual path by specializing in Missile Technology and later earned her master's degree in Pune.
Professional journey
Career beginnings and journey to Skyroot Aerospace
Sanghani began her career as a Project Engineer at the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
There, she contributed to India's missile development programs and gained hands-on experience in complex defense technologies.
Later, she joined Skyroot Aerospace and became part of the team behind Vikram-1's autopilot system as its Control System Lead.
Technical contribution
Sanghani worked on rocket's critical component
As the Control System Lead for Vikram-1's autopilot system, Sanghani worked on one of the rocket's most critical components.
The autopilot system constantly monitors the rocket during flight and ensures it stays on its intended path by making precise control adjustments.
Her work was instrumental in solving complex problems long before launch day arrived, ensuring mission success through thousands of hours of software development, simulations, testing, and engineering.
Information
Sanghani is now pursuing higher studies abroad
After contributing to one of India's major private space milestones, Sanghani is now pursuing higher studies abroad to deepen her expertise in aerospace technologies. Her academic journey reflects a commitment to lifelong learning and highlights how Indian engineers are increasingly contributing to space technology.