All You Need To Know About Vikram-1: India’s 1st Private Orbital Rocket Set for Historic Launch on July 18

India is set to enter a new chapter in its space journey as Skyroot Aerospace prepares to launch Vikram-1, the country's first privately developed orbital-class rocket, on July 18.

The maiden test flight, named Mission Aagaman, is scheduled for 11:30 am from the First Launch Pad at SDSC-SHAR, Sriharikota. If successful, it will mark the first attempt by a private Indian company to place a rocket into orbit from Indian soil.

Mission Aagaman Marks Private Sector's Entry Into Orbital Launches

Mission Aagaman, meaning "the arrival", follows Skyroot's successful Vikram-S suborbital launch in November 2022, which became India's first privately built rocket to reach space.

Authorities have already issued the required airspace and maritime restrictions for the launch window, clearing the way for the mission.

Vikram-1: What Makes It Special?

The seven-storey-tall Vikram-1 is a multi-stage launch vehicle designed to place small satellites weighing up to 350 kg into Low Earth Orbit (LEO).

Key features include–

• All-carbon composite rocket structure
• In-house developed solid and liquid propulsion systems
• 3D-printed rocket engines
• High-thrust solid rocket boosters
• Target orbit: 450 km at 60° inclination

Payloads Onboard

The maiden flight will carry technology demonstration payloads from:

• Grahaa Space
• Cosmoserve
• DCubed
• Skyroot's SCOPE payload

The rocket will also carry Cosmos Diamonds' artwork "Cosmic Bloom" along with a micro-art payload.

Final Checks Completed

Skyroot said all stages of Vikram-1 have been successfully integrated and stacked on the launch pad.

The company has also completed:

• Final integrated vehicle checks
• Telemetry verification
• Ground station interface testing
• Tracking radar validation

The launch will primarily evaluate the rocket's performance in real flight conditions and generate critical data for future commercial missions.

'Foundation For Future Launches'

Skyroot Co-founder and CEO Pawan Kumar Chandana said the company has completed every possible ground test and is now ready to validate the vehicle in flight.

He said the mission will provide invaluable flight data that will help establish a reliable launch cadence for future missions.

Co-founder and COO Naga Bharath Daka described the launch as the culmination of nearly 3,000 days of development, involving around 1,000 people and more than 400 suppliers.

According to him, the flight is only the beginning of Skyroot's ambition to build an on-demand launch service for global satellite operators.

About Skyroot Aerospace

Founded by former ISRO scientists Pawan Kumar Chandana and Naga Bharath Daka, Hyderabad-based Skyroot Aerospace develops the Vikram series of launch vehicles for the global small satellite market.

The company became the first Indian private space startup to launch a rocket into space with Vikram-S in 2022.

Valued at more than $1.1 billion, the company now aims to take the next major step towards making commercial space launches from India a regular reality.