India’s first private orbital rocket Vikram-1 set for lift-off
Skyroot Aerospace is preparing to launch Vikram-1, India's first privately developed orbital-class rocket, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre. The mission aims to test the vehicle's performance in a real flight environment while carrying several technology demonstration payloads.
Why it matters
This launch marks a significant milestone in the privatization of India's space sector, potentially lowering costs and increasing launch frequency for small satellites.
Forty-six years after India successfully launched its first experimental Satellite Launch Vehicle-3 (SLV-3), history is set to repeat itself as Vikram-1, the country’s first privately developed orbital-class rocket, prepares to lift off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota on July 18 (Saturday) at 11.30 a.m.
On July 18, 1980, India became the sixth member of an exclusive club of spacefaring nations when the SLV-3 was successfully launched from the same venue, placing the Rohini Satellite (RS-1) into orbit.
Developed by private space launch company Skyroot Aerospace, Vikram-1 is a seven-storey-tall, multi-stage orbital launch vehicle built with an all-carbon composite structure and powered by in-house developed propulsion systems, including 3D-printed engines and high-thrust solid-fuel rocket boosters.
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