India’s growing private space ecosystem is seeing new efforts to develop indigenous reusable launch technologies, with Talisha Aerospace Research Organisation advancing its KALPANA Mission as part of its long-term space technology programme.
Based in Durgapur, West Bengal, Talisha Aerospace is a private space research organisation established in 2024. The organisation works on reusable rockets, CubeSat technology and other space exploration projects, with an emphasis on making space technology more accessible to students, researchers and emerging organisations.
The KALPANA Mission, planned as a multi-year programme, is centred on the development of reusable rocket technology. Talisha says the programme is focused on combining propulsion, autonomous navigation and recovery technologies to support future missions that can reduce the cost and complexity associated with conventional expendable launch systems.
According to the organisation, the Kalpana programme comprises Kalpana-1, Kalpana-2 and Kalpana-3, with each vehicle representing a different stage of development in propulsion, payload capability and recovery technology. The programme is intended to progressively introduce more advanced reusable systems for scientific research, technology demonstrations and small satellite applications.
Kalpana-1 is described by Talisha as a two-stage solid-propellant vehicle designed for high-altitude suborbital missions. The rocket is intended to reach an altitude of around 30 kilometres and includes a parachute-based recovery system. Its payload section is designed to accommodate scientific instruments, CubeSats and experimental modules.
The subsequent vehicles are planned with more advanced capabilities. Talisha describes Kalpana-2 as a three-stage hybrid rocket incorporating AI-assisted autonomous landing and the ability to recover on land or water. Kalpana-3 is planned as a more advanced hybrid-propulsion vehicle aimed at higher-altitude missions and expanded payload applications.
A key objective of the programme is reusability. By developing systems capable of returning and recovering rocket hardware after a mission, Talisha aims to support repeated use of launch vehicles and reduce the resources required for future flights. The organisation also highlights autonomous navigation and recovery as important elements of its reusable rocket research.
Talisha’s work on the KALPANA Mission comes as India’s private space sector continues to expand beyond satellite development into launch vehicles, propulsion, robotics and other advanced technologies. The organisation’s broader activities include reusable rockets, CubeSat deployment and space robotics, with students and researchers participating in technology-development projects.
The KALPANA Mission therefore represents Talisha Aerospace’s effort to develop indigenous reusable rocket capabilities while creating a platform for experimentation in propulsion, autonomous flight and recovery systems. If the programme progresses successfully through its planned development and testing stages, it could contribute to India’s wider push toward more affordable and reusable space technologies.