Vikram-1 stands nearly as tall as a seven-storey building and is capable of carrying payloads weighing up to 350 kilograms.
India’s First Private Orbital Rocket Achieves Successful Maiden Launch
India’s first privately developed orbital rocket completed its inaugural flight on Saturday, marking a significant breakthrough for the country’s private space sector as it aims to strengthen its position in the global space market.
The Vikram-1 rocket, developed by Skyroot Aerospace, launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. The rocket is designed to transport small satellites into low-Earth orbit.
Celebrating the historic achievement, Skyroot Aerospace announced on X, “Hello space, we have arrived!” The company confirmed that Vikram-1’s Test Flight-1 successfully completed its mission, making it the first-ever launch carried out by an Indian private space company.
Vikram-1, India’s first privately built orbital rocket, stands nearly as tall as a seven-storey building and can carry payloads weighing up to 350 kilograms (771 pounds).
Pawan Goenka, chairman of the government’s Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe), praised the achievement, saying it exceeded expectations for the first-ever orbital launch conducted by an Indian private company.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the milestone as “a defining moment in India’s space journey.”
Modi said the increasing involvement of the private sector was creating new opportunities and driving innovation in the country’s space industry.
“This achievement will inspire countless young people to dream bigger and pursue innovation with confidence,” he said.
Vikram-1 Carries Innovative Payloads as India’s Private Space Sector Reaches New Milestone
The Vikram-1 rocket is carrying a variety of unique payloads, including a lab-grown diamond and robotic arms designed to help remove space debris.
The rocket also carries a miniature 18-karat gold model featuring small sculptures of renowned Indian scientists and aerospace figures, including Vikram Sarabhai, C.V. Raman, and former President and aerospace engineer A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.
India’s space ambitions, supported by decades of investment in the sector through the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), have accelerated significantly in recent years.
The country’s space economy, currently valued at around $8.4 billion, has expanded rapidly since India opened the sector to private companies in 2020. The industry now includes more than 400 space startups working on various space technologies.
‘New Heights’
Following the successful launch, Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar praised the achievement, saying that India’s space ambitions were reaching “new heights.”
India’s Space Sector Gains Momentum After Historic Lunar Achievement
In August 2023, India became the fourth country in the world to successfully land an unmanned spacecraft on the Moon, joining Russia, the United States and China.
Former Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman K. Sivan praised the progress made by private space startups, saying India was now witnessing the “fruits of the seeds sown” after opening the space sector to private companies.
Speaking to AFP, Sivan said developing rockets was among the most difficult and complex challenges in the space industry, adding that Skyroot Aerospace’s achievement would inspire many others to enter the sector.
He said the successful launch would have a significant global impact, noting that if an Indian startup could develop such advanced space technology, it would greatly strengthen India’s reputation in the international space community.
