Startup ‘Skyroot Aerospace’ launches India’s first private Rocket, Vikram-S

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has launched country’s first rocket built by a private company on Friday. India’s first privately developed rocket, Vikram-S was successfully launched in a sub-orbital mission from the sounding rocket complex at Sriharikota spaceport on Friday. After much anticipation and years-long work, the  private space agency has successfully launched its first ever private Rocket, named Vikram-S which is a boost to the private sector of the nation’s space industry.

The Vikram-S, developed by four-year-old startup Skyroot Aerospace, is a single-stage, spin-stabilized solid propellant rocket with a mass of around 550 kilograms. It carries three customer payloads, including one from a customer outside India. Made of all-carbon fibre core structure, the 6-meter-long rocket was developed in two years.

Vikram-S lifted at 11:30 am, in a mission named ‘Prarambh’ (the beginning). Around 2.3 minutes after liftoff, the rocket reached an altitude of 81.5km with three payloads weighing a total of 83kg. After 4.84 minutes, the rocket splashed down into the Bay of Bengal at around 115.6km from Sriharikota.

“Skyroot was the first startup to sign an MoU (memorandum of understanding) with ISRO for launching its rockets. Apart from being the nation’s first private launch, it will also be the maiden mission of Skyroot Aerospace, named Prarambh. It will carry a total of three payloads in space, including one from foreign customers,” Union minister of state (independent charge), science and technology, atomic energy and space Dr Jitendra Singh said.

Founded in 2018 by former ISRO scientists Pawan Kumar Chandana and Naga Bharath Daka, Skyroot successfully  tested fire India’s privately-made solid rocket space in December 2020. It was also the country’s first startup in 2021 to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the ISRO to launch its rockets.