Vikram-S, India’s first privately developed rocket, will launch between November 12 and 16, according to Hyderabad-based space startup Skyroot Aerospace.
Skyroot Aerospace’s first mission, dubbed ‘Prambh’ (the beginning), will carry three customer payloads and is scheduled to launch from the Indian Space Research Organization’s launchpad in Sriharikota.
“Authorities have notified us of a launch window between November 12 and 16, with the final date being confirmed based on weather conditions,” Skyroot Aerospace CEO and co-founder Pawan Kumar Chandana said.
Skyroot Aerospace will be the first private space company in India to launch a rocket into space, ushering in a new era for the space sector, which was opened up in 2020 to allow for private sector participation.
“The Vikram-S rocket is a single-stage sub-orbital launch vehicle which would carry three customer payloads and help test and validate the majority of the technologies in the Vikram series of space launch vehicles,” said Skyroot Aerospace’s Chief Operating Officer, Naga Bharath Daka.
Chandana stated that Skyroot was only able to build and launch the Vikram-S rocket in such a short period of time due to the invaluable assistance of ISRO and IN-SPACe (Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre).
Skyroot’s launch vehicles are named ‘Vikram’ in honour of the Indian space programme’s founder and renowned scientist Vikram Sarabhai.
Skyroot, based in Hyderabad, develops cutting-edge space launch vehicles for launching commercial satellites into space. According to the statement, it aims to disrupt entry barriers to cost-effective satellite launch services and spaceflight by advancing its mission to make spaceflights affordable, reliable, and consistent for all.
