Skyroot Aerospace launches Vikram-1, India's 1st private orbital rocket
Skyroot Aerospace, a startup from Hyderabad, pulled off something huge: they launched Vikram-1, the first privately built Indian rocket to reach orbit.
The mission, fittingly named Aagaman (which means "arrival"), puts India alongside the US and China as one of the few countries where a private company has designed, built, and launched an orbital rocket.
Vikram-1 soared 450km above Earth and released several satellites, including Skyroot's own SCOPE and payloads from Germany's DCUBED, Grahaa Space, and Cosmoserve Space.
Rocket carried Narendra Modi's handwritten note
The rocket isn't just high-tech. With its carbon-composite body and 3D-printed engine, it also carried a handwritten Vande Mataram note from Prime Minister Modi.
This launch is a big win for India's private space sector and opens up new possibilities for future missions.