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India launches Vikram-1, its first private orbital rocket
Skyroot Aerospace has flown India’s first privately built orbital rocket, a milestone mission carrying six demo payloads.
Image: iXBT
India has carried out its first-ever launch of a private orbital rocket, with Skyroot Aerospace successfully sending Vikram-1 on its debut mission on July 18.
The test flight, called Aagaman, lifted off from the First Launch Pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre. According to the report, all four stages of the rocket performed as planned during the mission.
Vikram-1 carried six demonstration payloads designed to validate onboard systems and gather flight data ahead of commercial service.
The flight marks a first for India since the country opened its space sector to commercial companies in 2020. Skyroot is now aiming at the global small-satellite launch market, where demand is rising for fast, dedicated launches to low Earth orbit. The company was also the first Indian space startup to reach unicorn status.
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Vikram-1 is designed to carry up to 300 kg to low Earth orbit. Skyroot CEO Pawan Kumar Chandana said the first flight was intended to confirm ground-test results and collect the data needed to move toward regular launches.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the launch a historic event for the country’s private space industry and congratulated the Skyroot team on the successful mission.
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
