Skyroot Aerospace successfully launched its Vikram-1 orbital rocket from Sriharikota on July 18, reaching low Earth orbit and making India the third country to demonstrate private orbital launch capability after the U.S. and China. The four-stage rocket lifted off at 2:35 a.m. EDT and completed its test flight, called Aagaman, in just 17 minutes. Skyroot, founded in 2018 by former Indian Space Research Organisation employees, previously made history with its Vikram-S suborbital rocket in 2022; this orbital success marks the company's next major step toward serving the small-satellite launch market.
Vikram-1 can carry roughly 350 kilograms to LEO and deployed multiple payloads at 450 kilometers altitude during the mission, including technology demonstrations from German and Indian companies, a space debris-capture robotic arm, and Skyroot's own performance-monitoring satellite. The rocket performed nominally throughout the flight, deploying payloads on schedule. Company leadership argues the small-satellite launch market faces supply constraints while demand for satellite services continues to grow, positioning Skyroot to capture that opportunity as India's private space sector expands.