Mission Aagaman: Skyroot Aerospace's Vikram-1 set for historic first private orbital launch from Sriharikota today
PTC News Desk: India's space programme is set to reach a major milestone as Skyroot Aerospace's Vikram-1 rocket prepares for its first orbital launch from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota at 11:30 am on Saturday.
The mission, named Mission Aagaman (meaning "arrival"), will be the first time a privately designed, developed and built orbital rocket is launched from Indian soil. It marks a big step for India's growing private space industry.
"We have done everything that could be done to test Vikram-1 on the ground. On July 18, we are eager to see how Vikram-1 performs in the real flight environment for the first time," said Skyroot Co-founder and CEO Pawan Kumar Chandana.
What will Vikram-1 do?
Vikram-1 will try to place several technology payloads into a 450-km Low Earth Orbit. The rocket can carry payloads weighing up to 350 kg and is built with a lightweight carbon composite structure. It also uses advanced technologies such as 3D-printed engines and high-thrust solid rocket motors developed by Skyroot.
Before launch, engineers successfully completed all major tests, including vehicle integration, telemetry and radar tracking checks.
The mission will carry technology experiments from Grahaa Space, Cosmoserve, DCubed and Skyroot's own SCOPE experiment. It will also carry symbolic items, including a handwritten postcard by Prime Minister Narendra Modi reading "Vande Mataram", along with messages from current and former ISRO chiefs, Indian astronauts, and Skyroot engineers and supporters.
Skyroot founders Pawan Chandana and Naga Bharath Daka, both former ISRO engineers, said the main goal is to achieve a successful liftoff and collect valuable data for future missions.
Why is this mission important?
After the successful launch of the Vikram-S suborbital rocket in 2022, Mission Aagaman is expected to test technologies needed for regular commercial satellite launches.
If successful, the mission will help Skyroot build a reliable launch schedule and compete in the global small satellite launch market. It will also mark a major milestone for India's private space sector, opening the door for startups and government agencies to work together in expanding the country's presence in space.
- With inputs from agencies
