SRIHARIKOTA: Skyroot Aerospace is set to usher in a new era for India’s commercial space industry with the launch of Vikram 1 on Mission Aagaman from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. The mission is expected to become India’s first orbital launch attempt by a private company using an entirely indigenous launch vehicle developed outside the government space programme.
If successful, Vikram 1 will become the country’s first privately developed rocket to place satellites into orbit, marking a major milestone for India’s rapidly expanding private space ecosystem.
The rocket introduces several technological innovations. It is India’s first orbital launch vehicle built entirely with an all carbon composite structure, reducing weight while improving strength and payload carrying capability. Its first stage is also the country’s longest monolithic carbon composite rocket stage, showcasing advances in domestic aerospace manufacturing.
Another major breakthrough is the use of a fully 3D printed liquid engine in the Orbital Adjustment Module, making it the first Indian orbital rocket to feature such technology. The mission also employs an ultra low shock pneumatic stage separation system designed to minimise vibrations and protect payloads during flight.
Mission Aagaman will carry a diverse range of payloads beyond traditional satellites. Among them is EMBRACE, a technology demonstration featuring robotic arms for future space debris removal missions. The rocket will also carry Cosmic Bloom, a lab grown diamond that becomes the first artistic payload of its kind to be sent into orbit aboard an Indian private rocket.
Adding a cultural dimension to the mission, Vikram 1 will transport a miniature gold rocket carrying micro sculptures of Dr Vikram Sarabhai, Sir C. V. Raman and Dr A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, honouring three of India’s greatest scientific pioneers. The mission will also carry a card bearing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s message, “Vande Mataram”, along with greetings submitted by supporters worldwide.
Following the successful suborbital flight of Vikram S in 2022, Mission Aagaman represents Skyroot’s biggest challenge yet. A successful orbital launch would establish the company as the first Indian private space startup to deploy payloads into orbit, marking a significant leap forward for India’s ambitions in the global commercial space industry.
