Sriharikota: Skyroot Aerospace has achieved a major milestone for India’s private space sector by successfully launching Vikram-1, the country’s first privately developed orbital rocket, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota.
The mission, named Mission Aagaman, lifted off at 12:06 pm IST after a brief delay from its scheduled 11:30 am launch due to technical checks.
The launch marks the first time an Indian private company has attempted to place payloads into low Earth orbit (LEO) using a fully indigenous orbital launch vehicle.
It builds on Skyroot’s earlier success with the Vikram-S suborbital mission in 2022, which became India’s first privately built rocket to reach space.
Vikram-1 carried a series of technology demonstration payloads from Grahaa Space, Cosmoserve, and DCubed, along with Skyroot’s own SCOPE payload. The rocket also transported ‘Cosmic Bloom,’ a space artwork created by Cosmos Diamonds, as well as a micro-art payload.
Vikram-1 Test Flight-1’s journey from lift-off at the historic first launch pad in Sriharikota 🚀#Vikram1 #OpeningSpaceForAll #SkyrootAerospace pic.twitter.com/DNMOyrdLjF
— Skyroot Aerospace (@SkyrootA) July 18, 2026
Standing about 20 meters tall with a 1.7-meter diameter, Vikram-1 is a four-stage launch vehicle built primarily from lightweight carbon composite materials. Its first three stages use solid-fuel propulsion, while the fourth stage is powered by a liquid engine that enables precise orbital insertion and maneuvering. The rocket also features advanced 3D-printed engines and high-thrust solid rocket motors.
Designed to carry small satellites weighing up to 350 kilograms into low Earth orbit, Vikram-1’s maiden mission is targeting an orbit of around 450 kilometers at a 60-degree inclination.
Mission Aagaman is primarily a technology demonstration flight aimed at validating the rocket’s performance, flight systems, and onboard technologies in real operating conditions. The data gathered during the mission will help Skyroot Aerospace further refine Vikram-1 ahead of future commercial launches.
