Skyroot's Vikram-1 Reaches Orbit, Marking India's First Private Orbital Rocket Success

Guwahati: The Skyroot Aerospace has successfully launched Vikram-1 Test Flight-1, marking the maiden flight of India's first privately developed orbital-class rocket and a significant milestone for the country's private space sector.

The mission, named Mission Aagaman, was launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre and successfully placed its payloads into a nearly 450-kilometre Low Earth Orbit (LEO). With this achievement, India has become the third country in the world to demonstrate private orbital launch capability.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Skyroot Aerospace on the successful mission, describing it as a landmark achievement for India's growing space ecosystem.

The 24-metre carbon-composite Vikram-1 rocket completed all planned stages of flight, including stage separations and the successful operation of its Orbital Adjustment Module (OAM). The module fired its 3D-printed liquid engine to perform the final orbital insertion and is designed to start, stop and restart while in space.

During the mission, the Kalam-1200 solid-fuel first stage propelled the rocket through the densest part of the atmosphere before separating as planned. The payload fairing was then jettisoned, exposing the payloads to space. This was followed by the successful burn and separation of the Kalam-250 second stage, before the Kalam-100 third stage completed the solid-propulsion phase of the mission.

Designed to carry payloads of up to 350 kg into a 450-kilometre Low Earth Orbit, Vikram-1 carried several payloads on its maiden flight, including 'Diamond Lotus', a lab-grown diamond developed by Bengaluru-based Cosmos Diamonds.

One of the mission's most symbolic payloads was a handwritten postcard by Prime Minister Narendra Modi bearing the words "Vande Mataram". The rocket also carried handwritten messages from the Skyroot team, investors, policymakers and well-wishers from around the world, making Mission Aagaman a celebration of India's expanding space ambitions and the country's growing role in the global commercial space industry.

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