India’s first privately developed orbital rocket, Vikram-1 launched successfully from Satish Dhawan Space Centre

Shriharikota, July 18
India’s first privately developed orbital rocket, Vikram-1 under Mission Aagaman, has successfully reached orbit after completing its final burn and injecting payloads into a 450 km orbit. The lift-off took place at 12.05 pm from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. The milestone makes India the third country in the world to achieve private orbital launch capability.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Skyroot Aerospace for the achievement. Mr Modi spoke to Team Skyroot by phone and lauded the historic space feat. The Prime Minister also invited Team Vikram-1 to meet him.
Union Minister of Science and Technology Jitendra Singh also celebrated the success.

Vikram-1 is India’s first privately developed orbital launch vehicle, designed and built by Hyderabad-based aerospace startup Skyroot Aerospace. Developed under Mission Aagaman, the rocket is intended to provide cost-effective and flexible launch services for small satellites. Named after Dr Vikram Sarabhai, the father of the Indian space programme, Vikram-1 features three solid-propellant stages and a liquid-fuelled Raman engine in its orbital adjustment module for precise orbital insertion and manoeuvres.

It is capable of placing payloads into low Earth orbit. Its successful orbital mission marks a significant milestone for India’s private space sector, reflecting the growing role of private industry following the space sector reforms that opened launch activities to non-government companies.