India’s first private orbital rocket launched on July 18, Vikram-1 with ‘Diamond Lotus’, postcard from PM Modi | Today’s news
India’s first private orbital rocket is scheduled to lift off on Saturday (July 18) at 11:30 am from the historic First Launch Pad at SDSC-SHAR, Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.
It will be the maiden test flight of the Vikram-1 rocket built by Hyderabad-based Skyroot Aerospace. It will be launched as part of the Aagaman mission on Saturday.
What flies aboard Vikram-1?
Among the cargo on the Vikram-1 test flight is “something really special” – a handwritten postcard from Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the words “Vande Mataram,” Skyroot Aerospace reported.
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Vikram-1 is scheduled to lift off on July 18 at 11:30 am from the first launch pad at SDSC-SHAR, Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.
Vikram-1 is a three-stage rocket built entirely of carbon-composite material, equipped with a liquid module for orbital path adjustment and capable of launching multiple satellites into orbit.
The test flight will carry several useful payloads, including a handwritten postcard from PM Modi, a SOLARAS S3 satellite, a robotic arm and artworks such as the ‘Diamond Lotus’.
The successful launch of Vikram-1 will strengthen India’s commercial launch capabilities and position it in the global market, especially in the small satellite launch sector.
It is the first time a privately developed rocket will attempt to independently place satellites into Earth orbit, showing India’s progress in the private space sector.
“It travels into space alongside handwritten messages from our team, investors, politicians and supporters around the world, making the Aagaman mission a celebration of many hands and shared by millions,” said the company’s co-founder.
Another payload of the Vikram-1 test flight, the Aagaman mission, includes several technology demonstrations:
1. Graha Space’s SOLARAS S3 satellite
2. Cosmoserve Space’s in-orbit Embrace robotic arm
3. Demonstration in orbit by the German company DCUBED (Deployables Cubed GmbH)
4. Skyroot’s own SCOPE satellite
5. Artwork Cosmic Bloom: a lab-grown ‘Diamond Lotus’ developed by Bengaluru-based Cosmos Diamonds.
6. Microart by Ajay Kumar Mattewada – 18K gold rocket holding micro sculptures of Sir CV Raman, Dr Vikram Sarabhai (namesake of Vikram-1) and Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, each smaller than a grain of rice.
About Vikram-1
Vikram-1 is powered by three solid fuel stages and a liquid orbit adjustment module. Skyroot Aerospace founder and CEO Pawan Kumar Chandana said the Vikram-1 builds on the company’s first private rocket demonstration conducted in 2022.
“Skyroot launched India’s first private rocket in 2022 (Vikram-S) and that was a test rocket to demonstrate the technology. It is the first time in India that a private company has developed an orbital rocket, delivered it to the launch site and is about to launch,” he said.
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Vikram-1 is the country’s first orbital rocket built entirely of carbon composite material.
“It’s the first rocket to reach orbit that was built entirely from carbon composite. Carbon fiber is five times lighter than the strongest steel, making the rocket lighter and more efficient,” he said.
Skyroot Aerospace co-founder and chief operating officer Naga Bharath Daka said it is a three-stage orbital-class rocket equipped with an orbit adjustment module capable of launching multiple satellites into orbit.
“It has three stages of solid propulsion and one orbit adjustment module that can put multiple satellites into orbit around the Earth. It is one of India’s first all-carbon rockets and is extremely efficient and lightweight,” he said.
He added that the vehicle incorporates several technologies that are being used for the first time in India.
“We have used some powerful technologies like 3D printed rocket motors. All the liquid motors in the scene are metal 3D printed motors. A lot of process and design innovations have gone into this vehicle. Thanks to the legacy and wisdom of ISRO scientists and the manufacturing ecosystem they have built, we have been able to realize this rocket,” said Daka.
The Aagaman mission is designed to deploy a payload of up to 350 kg into a 450 km orbit (LEO) with a 60-degree inclination.
What does Vikram-1 test flight mean for India?
The successful launch of Vikram-1 will mark a major milestone in India’s space history, when a privately developed rocket will attempt to put satellites into Earth orbit, independent of a government-developed rocket or launch vehicle programme.
“This is the first time for India that a privately designed, developed and manufactured orbital rocket has been placed on this pad (First Launch Pad, Satish Dhawan Space Center, Sriharikota),” the company said earlier in a post on X.
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IN-SPAC CTO Rajesh Jothi told ANI that the success of Vikram-1 could significantly boost India’s commercial capabilities of the launch.
“Skyroot is now about to launch its first launch vehicle, which will be the first of its kind. Not only in India, but also outside India, only one or two countries have such a small satellite launch vehicle. If successful, it will boost both the small satellite market and the small launch vehicle market,” he added.
Vikram-1 heads higher after Vikram-S
With the launch of Vikram-1, the company is aiming higher than it did with Vikram-S in 2022. The July 18 launch will follow the successful launch of Vikram-S in November 2022, which will shift Skyroot’s ambitions from suborbital to orbital missions.
Skyroot Aerospace explained that the Vikram-S launch in 2022 proved that a private Indian company could build and launch a rocket into space. But suborbital and orbital (Vikram-1) are completely different problems.
It explained that getting into orbit means building a rocket that can not only carry satellites, but also precisely place them in orbit around the Earth.
“We started with a belief: satellite operators around the world deserve reliable, affordable and dedicated access to orbit. Vikram-S demonstrated this technology in 2022. Vikram-1 will put it into orbit,” the company said.
