India's first private rocket to fly to space; launch details revealed

If all goes per plan, India's first privately designed and built spacefaring rocket will place satellites into space as early as 12th July, Sunday. Hyderabad-based firm Skyroot Aerospace announced that its seven-storey-tall 'Vikram 1' rocket is now fully integrated and stacked at the lone Indian spaceport, Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. Citing that this "partially commercial" mission carrying domestic and international satellites is "days away from launch", Skyroot said that the launch window spans between 12th July and 4th August. Various factors such as mission readiness, weather, safety, and range clearance need to be taken into consideration before a final launch date is firmed up.

Revealing the objective of its first flight attempt to space, Skyroot's CEO and Co-Founder Pawan Kumar Chandana said: The single most important objective of 'Mission Aagaman' is to capture the real in-flight performance data from every system on Vikram-1. We want to understand how the vehicle performs from lift-off through every phase of ascent. This data cannot be fully replicated through ground testing. It will help us validate our designs and inform subsequent vehicle development as we build a reliable, high-cadence commercial launch programme.

'Mission Aagaman', meaning “the arrival”, marks Skyroot’s second mission following the successful suborbital flight of Vikram-S, a rocket that was meant to fly to the edge of space and not circle the Earth or deploy satellites. The November 2022 launch of Vikram-S was the first attempt of that sort by an Indian private firm.

"From a dream to build a launch vehicle in India to now attempting an orbital flight has been a journey like no other. With Vikram-S in 2022, we validated the foundation of our technology stack; With Vikram-1, we take our biggest step, yet toward a reliable, high-cadence launch programme built in India, for India and the world. This mission is designed as both a technology demonstration and a learning mission. This has been made possible by the collective confidence of the Government of India, IN-SPACe, ISRO, our investors, our customers and a dedicated team of 1000+ individuals," said Naga Bharath Daka, Co-Founder & COO of Skyroot.

About the Vikram-1 rocket

Vikram-1 is a seven-storeys-tall, multi-stage orbital launch vehicle built with an all-carbon composite structure and powered by in-house developed propulsion systems, including 3D-printed engines and high-thrust solid-fuel rocket boosters. Designed to carry small satellites weighing up to 350 kg to Low Earth Orbit (LEO), Vikram-1's maiden mission will target an orbit at an altitude of 450 km with a 60-degree orbital inclination.

Orbital inclination is the tilt of a satellite's path with respect to the Earth's equator. For context, a satellite that circles along the Earth's equator will have a 0-degree inclination; a satellite that circles from pole to pole will have a 90-degree inclination. Therefore, a 60-degree inclination in a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) means the satellite circles the planet tilted at a 60-degree angle to the equator. It traces a path that flies over populated regions between 60° North and 60° South latitude. It leaves the extreme polar regions unobserved but covers nearly all inhabited areas.

Vikram-1's first launch mission will help Skyroot gather critical data across propulsion, stage separation, guidance, navigation, control and overall vehicle performance, supporting the evolution of Skyroot into a commercially operational launch company. Typically, spacefaring rocket makers regard the first three launches of a rocket as developmental or demonstration flights. It is based on the outcomes of the first three missions and their learnings, that the firm would declare the rocket operational. Skyroot says that it will commence full commercial launches after one or two successful demonstration launches to orbit.

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