The Vikram-S rocket, created by India, was successfully launched on Friday, ushering in “a new era” for the nation’s commercial space industry. Around 11.30 am, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) launch site in Sriharikota, close to Chennai, saw the launch of a 545-kilogram rocket constructed by space start-up Skyroot Aerospace. The rocket reached a peak altitude of 89.5 kilometers.
A brief about Skyroot launches India’s private rocket Vikram-S is a success:
The country’s successful entry of a commercial enterprise into the space industry was praised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “A momentous day for India… It represents a significant turning point for India’s private space industry, he tweeted.
In 2020, India opened up the space industry to private businesses, allowing them to produce satellites and rockets for the Prarambh mission.
80% of the technology that will be employed in the Vikram-1 orbital vehicle, scheduled for flight next year, was tested by the Vikram-S rocket. The rocket carried three payloads developed by the Armenian BazoomQ Space Research Lab, Chennai-based Space Kids, and Andhra Pradesh’s N Space Tech India.
It took around two years to develop the single-stage, solid-fuel, sub-orbital rocket. It was constructed with cutting-edge technologies, such as 3D-printed parts and carbon composite frameworks.
The rocket reached hypersonic velocity within 80 seconds of liftoff and reached its peak altitude after 155 seconds.
The rocket’s passage through an altitude of 50 kilometers was deemed to have been a successful launch. “I am pleased to report that the Prarambh mission was successfully completed. The rocket rose 89.5 kilometers in the air. Every system performed as intended. Today is a turning point for the nation. The space sector reforms announced in June 2020 made it feasible, according to businessman Pawan Goenka, who is in charge of the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Center (IN-SPACe), which acts as a liaison between private space companies and ISRO.
“Today, we wrote history. Indian space science is entering a new era with the Prarambh mission. According to Pawan Chandana, co-founder of Skyroot, “This is a little move by a start-up and a tremendous leap for the Indian space industry. The development of our flagship Vikram I orbital spacecraft, scheduled for launch the following year, is the next area of concentration.
“It is a big move forward by India to strengthen its space ecosystem and emerge as the leader in new space frontiers,” said Jitendra Singh, a minister of state for science and technology who was also present at the occasion. In fact, this marks a turning point in India’s startup phase.
After raising roughly $68 million, Skyroot, one of India’s most well-funded start-ups in the space industry, declared that it was aiming for both commercial and governmental clients with a concentration on international consumers.
There are around 4,550 man-made satellites in Earth’s orbit, according to data from Dewesoft. The potential of Skyroot’s launch is shown by the forecast of at least 50,000 satellite launches over the next ten years, the majority of which will be for lower orbits.
By April 2023, Chennai-based Agnikul Cosmos intends to launch its Agnibaan rocket on a full-scale commercial mission.
