India's first privately developed orbital rocket, Skyroot Aerospace' Vikram-1 will on Saturday soar into a low earth orbit (LEO) to place multiple technology demonstration payloads--both domestic and foreign.
Dubbed "Mission Aagaman", the launch marks the entry of the country's private space sector into the orbital launch market, spearheaded by Hyderabad-based Skyroot Aerospace.
"The four-stage rocket is set to launch from ISRO's Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota," the company said.
Skyroot Vikram-1 launch time:
Mission Aagaman is scheduled to lift off at 11:30 am from the First Launch Pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC-SHAR) in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.
The 24-metre rocket marks the first time an Indian private company will attempt to place satellites into orbit using its own launch vehicle, independent of a government-developed rocket or launch vehicle programme.
Built entirely with a lightweight carbon-composite structure, Vikram-1 is powered by three solid-fuel stages and a liquid orbital adjustment module.
The mission is designed to deploy payloads weighing up to 350 kg into a 450-km Low Earth Orbit (LEO) with a 60-degree inclination. Among its payloads is a lab-grown "Diamond Lotus" developed by Bengaluru-based Cosmos Diamonds.
Speaking to ANI, IN-SPACe Technical Director Rajesh Jothi said the mission reflects the rapid growth of India's private space sector following the space sector reforms announced in 2020.
"We are seeing the growth of the private sector. We started with hardly five or six startup companies, and today we have more than 400 startups. This has happened because of the government space reforms in 2020, after which IN-SPACe was formed in 2022. The vision of our Prime Minister is now being implemented, and we are seeing the outcome of the space policy," he said.
He said Vikram-1's success could significantly boost India's commercial launch capabilities.
"Skyroot is now going to launch its first maiden launch vehicle, which will be the first of its kind. Not only in India, but outside India as well, only one or two countries have such a small satellite launch vehicle. If this succeeds, it is going to give a boost to both the small satellite market and the small launch vehicle market," he added.
Skyroot Aerospace Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer Naga Bharath Daka said the company was founded eight years ago with the objective of building affordable and reliable launch services from India for global satellite operators.
"We started Skyroot around eight years ago with an aim to build affordable, reliable rockets from India to the world and provide affordable, reliable and on-demand launch access solutions for satellite operators around the world. All our effort and the team's effort are culminating today in this historic milestone," he said.
