Vikram‑1 blasts into Orbit—India’s private space dream takes flight
Prime Minister Modi and Minister Jitendra Singh congratulated
New Delhi, July 18: India’s first private orbital rocket Vikram-1 successfully launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh on Saturday.
This launch has been named ‘Mission Aagaman’.
The mission was originally scheduled to launch at 11:30 am, but due to some technical reasons, it was launched at 12:06 pm. Vikram-1, built by Hyderabad-based company Skyroot Aerospace, is powered by three solid-fuel stages and a liquid orbital adjustment module.
With the launch of Vikram-1, India has entered the global private orbital launch market. This is an important step towards strengthening India’s commercial space capabilities.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister of State for Science and Technology (Independent Charge), Dr. Jitendra Singh, congratulated Skyroot Aerospace and its scientists on the successful launch. Speaking to the company’s co-founders, Pawan Kumar Chandana and Naga Bharat Daka, the Prime Minister said that Skyroot has planted its roots in the sky and strengthened those roots on the ground, which will inspire the youth of the country.
Speaking to the company’s co-founder, Pawan Kumar Chandana, from ISRO’s office, the Prime Minister described this as a major step towards a self-reliant India. The Prime Minister said that this success demonstrates that India is capable of becoming self-reliant in the space sector, even with private sector participation. Through their commitment and hard work, Skyroot’s young team has elevated the dignity of Mother India to new heights. He likened it to the “Vande Mataram Mission,” saying it will serve to bring the benefits of technology to the new generation and inspire future generations. He also invited the Skyroot team to meet him soon.
The Prime Minister said that there was a time when I used to talk about self-reliant India, people used to make fun of it out of ignorance. Today you have proved that we are capable of becoming self-reliant in this area also. You have demonstrated that capability.
Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, Dr Jitendra Singh watched the live telecast of the launch of the country’s first privately developed orbital-class rocket Vikram-1 from ICMR. He described its successful launch as a historic achievement.
On this occasion, he fed sweets to all the scientists. He congratulated the entire team of Skyroot Aerospace on the successful launch of India’s first privately developed orbital launch vehicle Vikram-1.
Dr Singh expressed his heartfelt congratulations to Skyroot Aerospace on the successful launch of Vikram-1. This mission of India’s first privately developed orbital launch vehicle is a historic achievement for the country’s rapidly emerging private space sector. It is a testament to India’s growing space technology capabilities and developing space economy. This achievement is an important step towards further strengthening India’s position as a global space power.
Vikram-1 is a four-stage orbital rocket, approximately 20 meters tall and 1.7 meters in diameter. Its first three stages operate on solid propulsion, while the fourth stage uses a liquid engine for orbital entry and precise maneuvering. It is built entirely from a carbon composite structure.
Vikram-1 features 3D-printed engines and high-thrust solid-fuel boosters. It is designed to carry small satellites weighing up to 350 kilograms into low-Earth orbit.
