Skyroot raises bar, sets sight on commercial flights from next year
Skyroot Aerospace is preparing for commercial satellite launches in early 2025 following the successful maiden flight of its Vikram-1 rocket. The company aims to scale production to one rocket per month to meet growing demand for reliable private space launch services.
Why it matters
This marks a significant milestone for the private space sector in India, demonstrating that startups can achieve orbital launch capabilities with high reliability.
The unprecedented success of Vikram-1 on its maiden flight is yet to sink in for Skyroot Aerospace and its founders, Pawan Kumar Chandana and Naga Bharath Daka, but the company is not pausing to bask in the glory. In an exclusive interview with Swati Bharadwaj, Chandana, who is also Skyroot’s CEO, said that while he has received over 3,000 congratulatory messages from across the world, they have already begun preparing for commercial launches early next year.“It still feels surreal,” an elated yet exhausted Chandana said. "The first launch being successful on the very first attempt has never happened at all in space history. No private company with a new vehicle, without engines or anything being tested in another vehicle, has done it. It's the first time in the world a private company has done it."The team is now reviewing the mission.
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