Mission Aagaman: All you need to know about Vikram-1, India's first privately developed orbital-class rocket
Sriharikota (Andhra Pradesh): India took a major step in its commercial space journey on Saturday as Vikram-1, the country's first privately developed orbital-class rocket, successfully lifted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.
Developed by Hyderabad-based Skyroot Aerospace, the launch marks the first time an Indian private company has attempted an orbital rocket mission, signalling the country's entry into the global commercial launch services market.
Named Mission Aagaman, the rocket lifted off at 12.05 pm, about 35 minutes later than the scheduled 11.30 am launch, following a planned hold due to an apparent navigation issue.
A milestone for India's private space sectorThe successful launch is being seen as a landmark moment for India's growing private space industry. It follows the government's decision to open the space sector to private players, allowing companies to develop launch vehicles, satellites and space technologies alongside ISRO.
Skyroot Aerospace became the first Indian private company to launch a rocket in 2022 with its suborbital Vikram-S mission. Vikram-1 is its first orbital-class launch vehicle.
What is Vikram-1?Vikram-1 is a four-stage, orbital-class launch vehicle designed to carry small satellites into space.
Named after Dr Vikram Sarabhai, widely regarded as the father of India's space programme, the rocket has been designed for frequent and cost-effective satellite launches.
- Height: Seven-storey-tall launch vehicle
- Stages: Four
- Payload capacity: Up to 350 kg
- Target orbit: 450-km Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
- Orbital inclination: 60 degrees
- Flight duration: About 15.5 minutes
The rocket incorporates several advanced technologies developed by Skyroot Aerospace.
These include:
- All-carbon composite structure for reduced weight
- In-house developed solid and liquid propulsion systems
- High-thrust solid rocket boosters
- 3D-printed rocket engines
- Design aimed at rapid manufacturing and frequent launches
The launch vehicle underwent final integration and system checks before receiving launch clearance from the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe).
Mission Aagaman carries several technology demonstration payloads from Indian and international organisations.
The payloads include:
- Grahaa Space
- Cosmoserve Space
- Germany-based DCubed GmbH
- Skyroot's SCOPE payload
The mission is expected to deploy these payloads into Low Earth Orbit after completing its nearly 16-minute flight.
Cosmic Bloom and micro-art in spaceApart from scientific payloads, Vikram-1 is carrying Cosmic Bloom, a unique artwork created by Cosmos Diamonds.
The mission also includes a miniature art installation by artist Ajay Kumar Mattewada, featuring an 18-carat gold rocket carrying microscopic sculptures of:
- Sir C.V. Raman
- Dr Vikram Sarabhai
- Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
Each sculpture is smaller than a grain of rice and has been crafted inside the eye of a sewing needle.
The rocket is also carrying a postcard from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, adding a symbolic element to the historic mission.
One of the mission's key demonstrations is Mission Embrace, developed by Cosmoserve Space.
The payload features a robotic arm designed to demonstrate soft robotic capture technology in orbit.
The technology aims to safely capture defunct satellites and space debris, helping improve orbital sustainability and reduce congestion in space.
According to the company, it could become one of the world's first demonstrations of soft robotic capture technology in orbit.
Why this mission mattersThe Vikram-1 launch represents a major boost for India's private space ecosystem.
It demonstrates that Indian private companies can independently design, build and launch orbital rockets capable of carrying commercial payloads.