Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday hailed the maiden launch of Vikram-1, India’s first privately developed orbital launch vehicle, calling it a “historic new frontier” in the country’s space journey and a reflection of the talent and entrepreneurial spirit of India’s youth.
In a post on X ahead of the launch, PM Modi said the four-stage rocket, developed by Hyderabad-based Skyroot Aerospace, is designed to provide rapid and on-demand launch services.
“A historic new frontier for India’s space journey! At 11:30 AM today, Skyroot Aerospace will undertake the maiden orbital launch of Vikram-1, India’s first privately developed launch vehicle,” the Prime Minister said, adding that the mission demonstrated how India’s space-sector reforms were creating new opportunities for innovation and enterprise.
He wished the Skyroot Aerospace team success and urged people, especially young Indians, to follow the mission.
Former ISRO Chairman S. Somanath also extended his best wishes, describing the launch as a landmark moment for India’s private space industry.
He said the mission represented more than the maiden flight of a rocket, calling it the arrival of India’s private rocket-building capability. Somanath said the achievement reflected years of innovation, policy reforms, ISRO’s foundational work and the growing contribution of Indian startups.
He added that every pioneering launch, irrespective of its outcome, strengthens the country’s technological capabilities by generating knowledge, confidence and momentum for future missions.
Vikram-1 is scheduled to lift off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota at 11.30 am under Mission Aagaman.
The 24-metre launch vehicle is the first privately developed Indian rocket designed to place satellites into orbit independently of a government-developed launch vehicle. It is built using an all-carbon composite structure and is powered by three solid-fuel stages along with a liquid-fuel orbital adjustment module.
The mission is designed to deploy payloads weighing up to 350 kg into a 450-km Low Earth Orbit. Among the payloads is a lab-grown “Diamond Lotus” developed by Bengaluru-based Cosmos Diamonds.
IN-SPACe Technical Director Rajesh Jothi said the mission reflected the rapid expansion of India’s private space sector following the space reforms announced in 2020.
“We started with hardly five or six startups, and today we have more than 400. This has happened because of the government’s space reforms,” he said, adding that a successful launch would provide a major boost to India’s small satellite and commercial launch markets.
Skyroot Aerospace Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer Naga Bharath Daka said the company was founded eight years ago with the aim of building affordable, reliable and on-demand launch services for satellite operators worldwide.
“All our effort and the team’s effort are culminating today in this historic milestone,” he said.
(ANI)
