India’s first private orbital rocket Skyroot’s Vikram-1 set for debut flight between July 12 and August 4

Skyroot Aerospace has announced the launch window for the maiden test flight of Vikram-1, India’s first privately developed orbital-class rocket, from Sriharikota between July 12 and August 4. The mission, named Aagaman, aims to capture in-flight performance data and marks a significant milestone for India’s private space sector.

Hyderabad: Skyroot Aerospace announced the opening of the launch window for the maiden test flight of its Vikram-1 launch vehicle — India’s first privately developed orbital-class rocket. 

Test Flight-1 is targeted for no earlier than July 12, subject to the completion of assembly and testing operations at the launch site in SDSC-SHAR, Sriharikota, and weather, safety, and range clearances. The window extends until August 4.

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The single most important objective of Mission Aagaman is to capture the real in-flight performance data from every system on Vikram-1. “We want to understand how the vehicle performs from lift-off through every phase of ascent. The moment Vikram-1 lifts off, India’s private space industry will cross a threshold it has never crossed before,” said Pawan Kumar Chandana, Co-founder & CEO, Skyroot Aerospace.

Mission Aagaman marks Skyroot’s second mission following the successful suborbital flight of Vikram-S, the first private rocket to reach space from Indian soil, on November 18, 2022.

This will be a partially commercial flight, with the company planning to commence full commercial flights after one or two successful demonstrations to orbit. Joining the test flight is a mix of domestic and international customers.