Skyroot Aerospace Launches India's First Private Orbital Rocket, Vikram-1, Marking Milestone for Commercial Space Sector
Hyderabad-based Skyroot Aerospace successfully launched Vikram-1, India's first privately developed orbital rocket, from the Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) First Launch Pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. This event, part of Mission Aagaman, signifies a major achievement for India's commercial space sector, making Skyroot the first private Indian company to attempt an orbital launch. The four-stage Vikram-1 launch vehicle, named after Indian space program pioneer Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, is designed to offer rapid, on-demand launch services for small satellites. The seven-story rocket is targeting a 450-km Low Earth Orbit (LEO). This mission follows the company's Vikram-S suborbital mission in November 2022, which was the first privately built rocket launched from Indian soil, laying the groundwork for India's private space ecosystem.
