Skyroot’s Vikram-1 set for July 18 launch in India’s first private orbital rocket attempt

Homegrown space startup Skyroot Aerospace will attempt the maiden flight of its Vikram-1 rocket on July 18, marking the first orbital launch attempt from Indian soil by a privately developed launch vehicle.

The Vikram-1 rocket is scheduled to lift off from the first launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota at 11:30 am. Called Mission Aagaman, the test flight will be a key test of Skyroot’s technology and its plans to build a commercial launch business for small satellites.

“We have done everything that could be done to test Vikram-1 on the ground. On 18 July, we are eager to see how Vikram-1 performs in a real flight environment for the first time,” Pawan Kumar Chandana, co-founder and chief executive officer of Skyroot Aerospace, said.

“This is our first test flight, and we will be getting valuable data from it. This will be foundational to Skyroot’s aspirations of establishing launch cadence,” he added.

Vikram-1 is a seven-storey-tall, multi-stage rocket designed to carry satellites weighing up to 350 kg to low Earth orbit. The maiden mission will target an orbit of about 450 km at an inclination of 60 degrees.

The rocket has an all-carbon composite structure and uses propulsion systems developed by Skyroot, including 3D-printed engines and solid-fuel boosters.

The flight will carry technology demonstration payloads from Grahaa Space, Cosmoserve and German space technology company DCubed, besides Skyroot’s own SCOPE payload. It will also carry an artwork called Cosmic Bloom and a micro-art piece.

“What we are aiming to do on 18 July is bigger than a single launch. It represents the hopes and hard work of around 1,000 people, the contributions of over 400 suppliers, and nearly 3,000 days of resolve to build a global offering from India,” said Naga Bharath Daka, co-founder and chief operating officer of Skyroot.

The mission follows Skyroot’s Vikram-S suborbital launch in November 2022, which became the first privately built Indian rocket to reach space.