Skyroot’s Vikram-1 Set for Historic Launch Today: India’s First Private Orbital Rocket to Lift Off From Sriharikota

Guwahati, July 18: India is set to witness a major milestone in its space journey today as Hyderabad-based startup Skyroot Aerospace prepares to launch its first orbital rocket, Vikram-1, from the First Launch Pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC-SHAR) in Sriharikota at 11:30 am.

Named after Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, the father of India’s space programme, Vikram-1 represents a significant step for the country’s private space sector and its ambitions in the global commercial launch market.

The mission has been named “Aagaman,” meaning “arrival” in Sanskrit, symbolising India’s arrival as a nation capable of developing privately built rockets designed to reach orbit.

This is not Skyroot Aerospace’s first launch. In November 2022, the company created history with Vikram-S “Prarambh,” India’s first privately developed rocket to be launched. The successful suborbital mission demonstrated that an Indian startup could independently design, build, and launch a rocket. Mission Aagaman now marks the company’s next major leap towards orbital spaceflight.

According to Skyroot Aerospace, the mission will test Vikram-1’s performance and several critical technologies during flight. The data collected from the mission will be used to support the company’s future commercial orbital launch services.

The launch is scheduled for 11:30 am on July 18 from the First Launch Pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota. The event will be streamed live on Skyroot Aerospace’s official YouTube channel.

If the mission is successful, Skyroot Aerospace will become the first private Indian company to place a rocket into orbit, marking a landmark achievement for India’s growing private space industry and strengthening the country’s position in the global commercial launch sector.

Source: Skyroot Aerospace