From a farmer’s family to Vikram-1: How Prithvi Sanghani (inset) is shaping India’s private space revolution. (Photo: LinkedIn)
As millions watched Vikram-1 rise into the sky, celebrating a landmark moment in India’s private space journey, very few knew about the engineers working quietly behind the scenes to make that launch possible.One of them was Prithvi Sanghani. Born into a farmer’s family in Gujarat, she grew up far from launch pads and space laboratories. Today, she is among the engineers who helped develop the autopilot control system for Vikram-1, India’s first privately built orbital rocket—a journey that shows how determination, education and perseverance can take students from small towns to the frontiers of space technology.
From a farmer’s family to India’s growing space sector
Prithvi’s story began in Jamnagar, Gujarat, where she was raised in a farming family.After completing her engineering degree in Rajkot, she chose to specialise in an area that few students pursue—Missile Technology. She went on to earn a master’s degree in the subject in Pune, laying the foundation for a career in defence and aerospace.Her first major professional assignment came at the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), where she worked as a Project Engineer and contributed to India’s missile programmes.For many engineers, that would have been a dream career. But Prithvi was eager to be part of India’s rapidly expanding private space ecosystem.
The engineer behind Vikram-1’s guidance system
She later joined Skyroot Aerospace, becoming part of the team working on Mission Aagaman.As the Control System Lead for Vikram-1’s autopilot system, Prithvi contributed to one of the rocket’s most critical functions—helping ensure that it remained on its intended flight path during the mission.While rockets often capture headlines, thousands of hours of engineering, testing and software development make every successful launch possible.Prithvi’s contribution is a reminder that behind every space mission are teams of engineers solving complex problems long before countdown begins.
A lesson for students dreaming of space careers
India’s space sector is changing rapidly, creating opportunities not only in government organisations but also in private aerospace companies working on cutting-edge technologies.Prithvi’s journey demonstrates that students do not need to come from metropolitan cities or privileged backgrounds to contribute to world-class engineering projects. What matters is building strong fundamentals, pursuing specialised knowledge and remaining curious enough to keep learning.For every student fascinated by rockets, satellites or aerospace engineering, her story offers an inspiring message: your background does not determine your destination.And for every young girl wondering whether space technology is a field where she belongs, Prithvi Sanghani has already shown that the answer is yes.Disclaimer: This article is based on publicly available information about Prithvi Sanghani’s academic and professional journey. It is intended for educational and informational purposes only.
