Skyroot Aerospace to launch India's 1st privately-built Vikram-1 from Sriharikota
Skyrock Aerospace, a homegrown Indian space startup, is gearing up to launch Vikram-1 (India's first privately built orbital rocket) sometime between July 12 and August 4 from Sriharikota.
The mission, called Aagaman (which means "arrival"), is a big step for India's private space scene.
Vikram-1 to test propulsion, deploy payloads
Vikram-1 stands about seven stories tall and features an all-carbon composite body with advanced tech like 3-D-printed engines and high-thrust solid motors, all designed in-house.
This flight will carry both Indian and international payloads into a 450-km orbit while testing key systems like propulsion and stage separation.
It's still a developmental mission, so the main goal is to prove everything works before future commercial launches, kind of like the final exam after their successful suborbital test in 2022.