Forty-six years after SLV-3 marked India's first successful satellite launch, Skyroot Aerospace's Vikram-1 successfully lifted off and from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota on Saturday and further entered the space, becoming the country's first privately developed orbital-class rocket to take flight from Indian soil and marking the start of India's maiden private orbital launch attempt.
The launch, dubbed Mission Aagaman, signals a major milestone for India's growing private space sector and could make Skyroot the first Indian private company to place payloads into orbit.
The seven-storey-tall rocket lifted off from the First Launch Pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC-SHAR), Sriharikota, following the completion of all launch preparations, including integrated vehicle checks, telemetry interface verification and tracking radar tests. Authorities had also issued the required airspace and maritime clearances ahead of the launch.
