Skyroot Aerospace Makes History as India’s First Private Orbital Rocket Vikram-1 Successfully Reaches Space Orbit

The successful orbital deployment marks a major achievement for India’s space industry and makes the country the third nation in the world to achieve private orbital launch capability.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Skyroot Aerospace for the historic accomplishment. The Prime Minister spoke with Team Skyroot over the phone and praised the achievement in the space sector. He also invited Team Vikram-1 to meet him following the successful mission.

Union Minister of Science and Technology Jitendra Singh also welcomed the successful launch and celebrated the milestone achieved by India’s private aerospace sector.

Vikram-1 is India’s first privately developed orbital launch vehicle, designed and developed by Hyderabad-based aerospace startup Skyroot Aerospace. Created under Mission Aagaman, the rocket is aimed at providing cost-effective and flexible launch services for small satellites.

Named after Dr Vikram Sarabhai, the father of the Indian space programme, Vikram-1 incorporates advanced propulsion technology with three solid-propellant stages and a liquid-fuelled Raman engine in its orbital adjustment module. The system enables precise orbital insertion and controlled manoeuvres during space missions.

The launch vehicle is capable of placing payloads into low Earth orbit. The successful completion of the orbital mission represents a significant milestone for India’s private space sector and highlights the expanding contribution of private companies following space sector reforms that opened launch activities to non-government organisations.