India's first privately developed orbital-class rocket Vikram-1 lifted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra Pradesh's Sriharikota on Saturday, 18 July, marking a significant milestone in the country's efforts to open up the space sector to private enterprise.
Developed by Hyderabad-based Skyroot Aerospace, the launch — named 'Mission Aagaman' (arrival) — is the first attempt by an Indian private company to place satellites into orbit, underscoring the rapid growth of the country's commercial space ecosystem following reforms that allowed greater private participation.
The seven-storey-tall, four-stage Vikram-1 rocket lifted off from the spaceport's First Launch Pad at 12.05 pm after a planned 35-minute delay from the scheduled 11.30 am launch. Skyroot said the brief hold was necessitated by apparent navigation-related issues before engineers gave the mission the go-ahead.
During its nearly 16-minute flight, Vikram-1 is expected to deploy multiple technology demonstration payloads into a 450-km low-Earth orbit with an inclination of 60 degrees.
Named after Vikram Sarabhai, widely regarded as the father of India's space programme, the rocket features an all-carbon composite structure designed to reduce weight while improving performance. It is powered by propulsion systems developed in-house by Skyroot, including 3D-printed engines and high-thrust solid rocket motors.
The mission is carrying technology payloads from Indian companies Grahaa Space and Cosmoserve, German aerospace firm DCubed, Skyroot's own Space Capsule for Orbital Platform Experiments (SCOPE), as well as an artwork titled Cosmic Bloom. It also carries a commemorative postcard signed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The launch comes at a time when India is seeking to significantly expand its share of the global commercial space market. Since the Centre introduced sweeping space sector reforms in 2020, private companies have been allowed to build rockets, launch satellites and offer commercial launch services under the oversight of the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe).
With PTI inputs
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