Skyroot Aerospace on Thursday announced that its Vikram-1, India’s first private rocket by Hyderabad-based startup, is set to take off on July 18 at 11.30 am.
India’s first privately developed orbital-class rocket is targeted for launch from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC).
Vikram-1 is a seven-storey-tall, multi-stage orbital launch vehicle built with an all-carbon composite structure and powered by in-house developed propulsion systems, including 3D-printed engines and high-thrust solid-fuel rocket boosters. Designed to carry small satellites weighing up to 350 kg to Low Earth Orbit (LEO), Vikram-1’s maiden mission will target an orbit at an altitude of 450 km with a 60-degree orbital inclination.
The mission will gather critical data across propulsion, stage separation, guidance, navigation, control and overall vehicle performance, supporting the evolution of Skyroot into a commercially operational launch company.
Titled Mission Aagaman, meaning “the arrival”, 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.
Founded by Pawan Kumar Chandana and Naga Bharath Daka, the company aims to democratise space access by designing, developing and launching a family of launch vehicles.
The flight-ready rocket was unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in November 2025 during the inauguration of Skyroot’s Infinity campus.
In an earlier statement Skyroot said for India, the ability to reach orbit reliably and frequently is a strategic capability that only a handful of nations possess. “Today, access to space remains a major bottleneck, with satellite operators often waiting months or even years for a launch opportunity,” it said.
