Vikram-1 achieves India's first private orbital launch

India has achieved a significant milestone in its space program with the successful maiden orbital launch of Skyroot Aerospace's Vikram-1 rocket. This achievement positions India as the third nation, after the United States and China, to possess private orbital launch capabilities, paving the way for commercial spaceflights from Indian soil.

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We have created a global milestone from India.

The seven-storey, multi-stage Vikram-1 rocket lifted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, at 12:05 p.m. on Saturday. Within 20 minutes, it successfully injected four technology demonstration payloads into a 450-kilometer orbit. The rocket is designed to carry satellites weighing up to 350 kilograms into low-earth orbit and features an all-carbon composite structure, in-house propulsion systems, including 3D-printed engines, and high-thrust solid-fuel boosters.

CEO and co-founder Pawan Kumar Chandana, who established the Hyderabad-based company with Naga Bharath Daka in 2018, described the launch as a "global milestone from India." He expressed pride in the "phenomenal team," noting that the average age of the employees is 28 years. Co-founder and COO Daka confirmed that Vikram-1 met all mission objectives, validating its propulsion, avionics, and guidance systems under real operating conditions and generating valuable data for future missions.

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I thought it wouldn’t be possible. A big shout out to the phenomenal team, whose average age is 28 years.

While the initial scheduled lift-off was at 11:30 a.m., a minor hiccup in the automatic launch sequence caused a delay. Pawan Goenka, chairman of IN-SPACe, the government agency facilitating private space players, confirmed the issue was quickly rectified. He stated that the mission exceeded its initial objective of simply clearing the launch tower, reaching an altitude of 450 kilometers and releasing all satellites.

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There was a hiccup in the beginning of the automatic launch sequence. It was minor and quickly rectified, restarted and we had an absolutely smooth sail.

This successful mission follows Skyroot's earlier suborbital Vikram-S flight in November 2022, which was the first private rocket from Indian soil to reach space. Chandana and Daka, both IIT alumni and former ISRO scientists, highlighted that the company began operations when the private space sector in India lacked policy, funding, and talent. They credited government support for their success and asserted that the launch proves India possesses the necessary talent, technology, and industrial strength to build world-class launch vehicles.

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The objective was to only lift off and clear the tower that is about 100mts. But it went to 450kms, released all the satellites, and all the objectives were met.