India’s first private orbital rocket Vikram-1 to launch on July 18

Skyroot Aerospace’s Vikram-1 will become India’s first private orbital rocket to attempt a launch from Sriharikota on July 18 with four technology payloads.

India’s first privately developed orbital rocket, Vikram-1, is set for its maiden test flight from the First Launch Pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, on July 18.

India’s first privately developed orbital rocket will lift off from Sriharikota on July 18, carrying four Indian and international technology payloads.

Indigenously developed Vikram-1 is set to take off at 11.30 am on July 18. “The clearance of Vikram-1 for flight following rigorous testing is a defining milestone in India’s space journey. This first test flight marks the beginning of Skyroot’s aspiration to open space for all,” Skyroot Aerospace co-founder and CEO Pawan Kumar Chandana said.

All stages of Skyroot’s Vikram-1 have been successfully integrated and stacked on the launch pad. Skyroot’s launch control centre has completed the final integrated checks of the vehicle on the launch pad, along with interface checks with all telemetry ground stations and tracking radars.

“Concerned authorities have issued the necessary airspace and maritime notices, formally designating the restricted zones along Vikram-1’s ascent and impact corridor for launch day,” a media statement read, adding that the mission marks the arrival of India’s private sector in the global launch business.

Four technology demonstration payloads from Indian and international companies will be aboard the maiden test flight. These include the Solaras S3 satellite developed by Grahaa Space, a Bengaluru-based space start-up incubated at the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology; an in-orbit debris-clearing robotic arm called Embrace developed by Hyderabad-based start-up Cosmoserve Space; the Scope satellite by Skyroot; and an in-orbit demonstration from DCUBED, a German NewSpace hardware manufacturer. Microscopic 18-carat gold rocket-holding sculptures of renowned Indian scientists Sir C.V. Raman, Dr. Vikram Sarabhai and Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, each smaller than a grain of rice, and Cosmos Diamonds’ artwork, “Cosmic Bloom”, will also fly alongside the payloads.

“On 18 July, we are eager to see how Vikram-1 performs in a real flight environment for the first time. 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,” said Chandana.

A seven-storey, multi-stage launch vehicle, Vikram-1 is designed to carry small satellites weighing up to 350 kg to Low Earth Orbit, with its maiden mission targeting an altitude of 450 km at a 60-degree orbital inclination. The rocket is built with an all-carbon composite structure and powered by in-house propulsion systems, including 3D-printed engines and high-thrust solid-fuel boosters.

“The launch 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 COO, Skyroot Aerospace. “With the in-flight data gathered from this mission, we will return to the shop floor to learn, improve, and build further.”

Mission Aagaman will be the second mission by the Hyderabad-based private space launch company following the suborbital flight of Vikram-S, which was the first private rocket to reach space from Indian soil on November 18, 2022.