Indian Startup Launches Country’s First Privately Built Rocket “Vikram-S”

The nation’s first privately built rocket was launched by an Indian aerospace startup, marking an important step in that nation’s efforts to develop a private space economy.

The Vikram-S rocket was launched Friday morning from the government-run Satish Dhawan Space Center, close to the city of Chennai, to cheers from onlookers.

89.5 kilometers, or around 55.6 miles, was its highest point. That distance surpasses the 50-mile NASA-designated Earth-space boundary but falls short of the Kármán line, which is frequently considered as the outer limits of space and is located 62 miles above Earth.

The rocket’s builder is a Hyderabad-based company named Skyroot that was started by former Indian Space Research Organization engineers. The founder of India’s space program, Vikram Sarabhai, is honored by having the rocket bear his name.

According to Pawan Kumar Goenka, the chairman of IN-SPACe, a department inside India’s space agency, the launch went just as anticipated.

After the rocket splashed down in the Bay of Bengal, he declared, “All systems as I can figure out operated as intended, and Skyroot Aerospace has proved the capacity of numerous subsystems that will go into the orbital launch vehicle.”

India’s divisive prime leader, Narendra Modi, expressed his congratulations on the launch’s success.

“As the rocket Vikram-S, created by Skyroot Aerospace, launched today from Sriharikota, it was a historic day for India. The private space industry in India has reached a significant turning point with this” he wrote. The incredible skill of our young people, who fully embraced the historic space industry changes of June 2020, is demonstrated by this accomplishment.

The first company to sign a contract for rocket launches with the nation’s space program was Skyroot.