Skyroot to launch India's 1st private orbital rocket July 18
Skyroot Aerospace is about to launch Vikram-1, the country's first privately built orbital rocket, on July 18 from Sriharikota.
This mission, called Mission Aagaman, is a big deal because it shifts India's space game from government-led to startup-driven.
It'll show if private teams can really design and run full space missions themselves.
Vikram-1 to carry 4 satellites
Vikram-1 will carry satellites from Indian startups Grahaa and Cosmoserve, Germany's Dcubed, plus one from Skyroot itself, all headed for low Earth orbit.
This follows Skyroot's earlier test in 2022, which proved they could get rockets off the ground.
Indian companies are also jumping into satellite making and space-data services, with new launch sites like Kulasekarapattinam set to make launches easier.
Pawan Goenka (IN-SPACe chairman) called this launch a "milestone," but reminded everyone that real success means showing reliability over time.