India’s First Private Rocket ‘Vikram-1’ Ready for Launch; New History to be Made in Space

New Delhi: Skyroot Aerospace’s Vikram-1 rocket is scheduled to launch from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota at 11:30 AM on Saturday. This will mark the maiden flight of an orbital-class rocket built by a private Indian company. Dubbed ‘Mission Aarambh’ (Mission Beginning), this event is considered a major, historic milestone for India’s private space sector. Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to X (formerly Twitter) to describe it as a “historic new beginning.”

Hyderabad-based Skyroot Aerospace has readied the rocket on the launch pad following years of testing and preparation. Standing as tall as a seven-story building, the rocket has undergone all necessary checks. Engineers have successfully completed procedures such as vehicle testing, telemetry checks, and radar tracking. Skyroot Co-founder and CEO Pawan Kumar Chandana stated that all ground-based testing has been completed, and the rocket’s performance during the actual flight remains to be seen.

The Vikram-1 rocket aims to place several technical payloads into a specific orbit 450 kilometers above Earth. Capable of carrying a payload of up to 350 kilograms, the rocket is constructed from carbon composites and features the company’s proprietary engines, including 3D-printed ones.

Several technical payloads are being launched alongside the rocket, including experiments from Planet Space, Cosmosserv, Dhruva Space (D-Cube), and Skyroot itself. Additionally, the mission carries a handwritten ‘Vande Mataram’ postcard from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, messages from current and former ISRO chiefs, and messages from Indian astronauts.

The company’s founders, Pawan Chandana and Naga Bharath Daka, are former ISRO employees. They state that a successful flight of the rocket will be their greatest achievement. This is considered the next major step following the success of the Vikram-S mission in 2022. If successful, this mission will mark a new beginning for India’s private space industry, paving the way for private companies to collaborate with ISRO and advance in the field of satellite launches in the future.