Sriharikota: The countdown to a historic moment in India’s space journey has entered its final phase. Skyroot Aerospace’s Vikram-1, the country’s first privately built orbital launch vehicle, has entered its internal hold, with just five minutes remaining before liftoff from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC-SHAR) in Sriharikota.
The final hold is one of the most crucial stages of the countdown, during which mission controllers carry out last minute checks on the rocket’s systems before giving the go ahead for launch. If everything proceeds as planned, Vikram-1 will become the first privately developed Indian rocket to attempt placing satellites into orbit an achievement that could redefine the country’s commercial space ambitions.
Developed by Hyderabad based Skyroot Aerospace, Vikram-1 is the company’s maiden orbital launch vehicle and a major milestone for India’s growing private space sector. Nearly 20 metres tall, the four stage rocket has been designed to carry payloads of up to 350 kilograms into Low Earth Orbit, offering a cost effective launch solution for the rapidly expanding small satellite market.
The mission, aptly named ‘Aagaman’ meaning “arrival” in Sanskrit will carry multiple customer payloads from India and abroad. These include Skyroot’s own SCOPE satellite, Grahaa Space’s SOLARAS S3 payload, Cosmoserve Space’s robotic arm technology demonstrator, and an in orbit demonstration by Germany based DCUBED.
The launch is being watched closely across the country, not just because it is Skyroot’s first orbital mission, but because it represents a defining moment for India’s private space industry. Ever since the government opened the space sector to private players, companies like Skyroot have been racing to develop indigenous launch capabilities that can compete on the global stage.
Founded in 2018 by former ISRO scientists Pawan Kumar Chandana and Naga Bharath Daka, Skyroot has emerged as one of India’s leading space tech startups. The company first grabbed national attention in 2022 after successfully launching the Vikram-S suborbital rocket, becoming the first private Indian company to send a rocket into space.
Today’s mission is a much bigger challenge. Unlike the suborbital Vikram-S flight, Vikram-1 is designed to reach orbit and deploy satellites, making it a true test of the company’s engineering capabilities and launch technology.
As the clock ticks down and the rocket remains in its final internal hold, anticipation is building at Sriharikota. A successful launch would not only mark a historic first for Skyroot Aerospace but also signal the arrival of a new era in which private Indian companies play a leading role in the country’s journey into space.
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