Skyroot Launches Vikram-S, India's first Private Sector Rocket  

When private company Skyroot Aerospace successfully launched its Vikram-S rocket on a sub-orbital flight from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota on Friday, India embarked on a new chapter in the field of space sector.

The Prarambh mission is remarkable because it marked the first launch of an Indian launch vehicle that was privately developed and operated. On Friday at around 11.30 am,  Skyroot made history in front of a crowded gallery audience at the space centre and thousands of viewers around the world online. India allowed private companies to develop satellites and rockets after opening the space sector to them in 2020.

It was announced that the flight had reached hypersonic speed 80 seconds after launch, and after 155 seconds it reached its greatest height of 89.5 kilometres.

When the 6-meter rocket successfully travelled to an altitude of 50 km, its mission was considered a success. A typical passenger car travels up to 10 kilometres. “I am happy to announce the successful completion of mission Prarambh. The rocket achieved an altitude of 89.5 km. All systems worked as per plan. Today is a milestone for the country. It became possible because of the space sector reforms announced in June 2020. ISRO and IN-SPACe (Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre) played an important role in this,”. Businessman Pawan Goenka, the director of IN-SPACe, the organisation established by the government to serve as a liaison between private space companies and state-owned space agency Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)  said.

The company stated in a statement, “This is a great milestone for all of us at Skyroot, and a path-breaking one as the pioneering launch mission of the Indian private sector. Our feeling is nothing short of exuberance. Next, our focus is developing our flagship Vikram I orbital vehicle that we would launch next year,”