India’s first private orbital rocket Vikram-1 set for maiden launch in July

Bengaluru: India’s first privately developed orbital-class rocket, Vikram-1, is set for its maiden test flight this month.

Hyderabad-based Skyroot Aerospace announced Wednesday that the launch window for Mission Aagaman, Vikram-1’s first test flight, will run from July 12 to August 4.The rocket sits on a launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.

Vikram-1 is designed to carry small satellites into low Earth orbit. If successful, it would mark the first orbital launch by a private Indian company, a milestone for the country’s commercial space sector following recent policy reforms opening space to private players.

Skyroot previously launched Vikram-S, a suborbital rocket, in November 2022 from the same spaceport, becoming the first Indian private firm to reach space.

The company has not disclosed the payloads for Mission Aagaman. ISRO and Skyroot officials are expected to conduct final checks ahead of the launch window.