• 2 min read
India sets July 18 debut for private Vikram-1 launch
Skyroot Aerospace plans India’s first orbital attempt with a fully private rocket on July 18, carrying tech payloads and its own telemetry satellite.
Image: iXBT
Skyroot Aerospace has scheduled the first orbital launch of its Vikram-1 rocket for July 18, marking India’s first attempt to place a payload into orbit using a fully privately developed launch vehicle. The mission, called Aagaman (“Arrival”), will lift off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.
The company said it has completed its full set of ground tests, and the required air and sea traffic restrictions for the launch window are already in place. CEO Pawan Kumar Chandna said the next step is to validate the rocket in real flight and gather data that cannot be obtained on the ground.
Despite its test-flight status, Vikram-1 will not fly empty. The rocket is carrying several technology demonstrators, hardware from Grahaa Space, which develops Earth observation nanosatellites, systems from Cosmoserve for space-debris removal technologies, components from DCubed, and Skyroot’s own SCOPE satellite. That spacecraft is designed to collect detailed telemetry on the rocket’s performance throughout flight.
The mission also includes an art payload: a diamond-based composition called Cosmic Bloom and a miniature artwork.
Named after Vikram Sarabhai, widely regarded as the founder of India’s space program, Vikram-1 stands about 7 stories tall and is designed to carry up to 350 kg to low Earth orbit. Its first flight is planned for a trajectory targeting about 450 km altitude at 60 degrees inclination.
Recommended reading
Satellite startups pull $8.1B in half a year
According to Skyroot Aerospace COO Naga Bharath Daka, the launch data will guide the rocket’s further refinement as the company works toward regular commercial launches for small satellites.
Frontier Editor
Dan is our resident futurist, covering electric mobility, space exploration, and the smart home. He's interested in atoms just as much as bits. Whether it's a new battery chemistry, a reusable rocket, or a protocol that finally makes IoT devices talk to each other, Dan breaks down the engineering that pushes humanity forward.
via iXBT
