Archive · 20 Jul 2026
India's Skyroot Aerospace Launches Vikram-1 Rocket
Skyroot Aerospace, a company based in Hyderabad, India, successfully launched its first orbital rocket named Vikram-1 on July 18.
This rocket is special because it is the first private Indian rocket to reach orbit.
The rocket was named after Vikram Sarabhai, who started India's space program.
Vikram-1 is designed to carry small satellites into space.
It has four stages, with the first three using solid fuel and the last one using liquid fuel.
The rocket carried two small satellites, one made by Skyroot and the other by another Indian startup called Grahaa Space.
The launch was delayed by 35 minutes due to a technical issue, but it was eventually successful.
Skyroot plans to do more test flights before starting commercial launches.
The company has raised money to build more rockets, including a larger one called Vikram-2.
Skyroot Aerospace launched Vikram-1, India's first private orbital rocket, on July 18.
The rocket reached a 450-kilometre low Earth orbit, carrying two cubesats.
Vikram-1 is a four-stage rocket with solid and liquid fuel stages.
The launch was delayed by 35 minutes due to a technical issue but was declared a success.
Skyroot plans more test flights and has raised 60 million dollars for further development.
- Who
- Skyroot Aerospace, an Indian private aerospace company
- What
- Launched Vikram-1, India's first private orbital rocket
- When
- July 18
- Where
- Satish Dhawan Space Centre
- Why
- To demonstrate private orbital launch capability and carry payloads into space
- Rocket Name
- Vikram-1
- Developer
- Skyroot Aerospace
- Launch Date
- July 18
- Launch Site
- Satish Dhawan Space Centre
- Orbit Achieved
- 450-kilometre low Earth orbit
- Payload Capacity
- 350 kilograms to low Earth orbit
- Upgraded Variant
- Vikram-1U (550 kilograms capacity)
- Company Founded
- 2018
- Funding Raised
- 60 million dollars in May