Skyroot Aerospace Launches Vikram-1: India Enters a New Era of Private Space Exploration

Indian space startup Skyroot Aerospace has created history by successfully launching Vikram-1, India's first privately developed orbital rocket, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, on 18 July 2026. The mission, named "Mission Aagaman," successfully placed multiple customer and technology demonstration payloads into a 450 km Low Earth Orbit (LEO) about 15 minutes after liftoff.

This achievement marks a major milestone for India's private space sector. With this successful mission, India becomes only the third country in the world where a private company has independently developed and launched an orbital rocket.

Founded in 2018 by former ISRO scientists Pawan Kumar Chandana and Naga Bharath Daka, Hyderabad-based Skyroot Aerospace has rapidly emerged as one of India's leading space startups. Vikram-1 is a four-stage launch vehicle designed for launching small satellites into orbit and features advanced technologies, including a 3D-printed rocket engine.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the Skyroot team, calling the launch a landmark achievement for India's growing commercial space ecosystem. The success of Vikram-1 is expected to accelerate India's ambitions of becoming a global hub for satellite launches and expanding its share of the global space economy.