Vikram-1, India’s first privately developed orbital-class rocket lifts off from Sriharikota
India's private space company Skyroot Aerospace successfully launched its Vikram-1 orbital-class rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre. The rocket, which features 3D-printed engines, is designed to carry small satellites into Low Earth Orbit.
Why it matters
This marks a significant milestone for India's private space sector, demonstrating the growing capability of commercial firms to conduct orbital launches.
Private rocket Vikram-1 carrying tech payloads and special postcards lifted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota on Saturday (July 18, 2026).
Earlier, the launch was put on hold temporarily. A new schedule was announced, and the rocket was launched at 12.05 p.m.
The rocket was developed by Skyroot Aerospace . Five minutes before the earlier scheduled lift-off, Skyroot Aerospace announced that there is a ‘planned hold’.
Around 10 minutes before the scheduled launch, the Vikram-1 had begun its Automated Launch Sequence. From here, the onboard software runs the countdown — monitoring every system and clearing each checkpoint on its own, all the way to ignition. However, five minutes before the lift off, the launch was put on hold.
Later, the Automated Launch Sequence (ALS) was restarted, and the lift-off was re-scheduled at 12.05 p.m.
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