Vikram-1, the nation’s first privately built orbital-class rocket, was launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota on Saturday, July 18, 2026, at 11:30 a.m.
This marks the entry of private sector in India's space sector.
After the successful launch of Skyroot Aerospace’s Vikram-1 rocket under Mission Aagaman, India has officially become the third nation in the world—following the United States and China—to have a fully private company design, construct, and successfully send a rocket into orbit.
Skyroot Aerospace is a Hyderabad-based space firm founded by the former ISRO scientists Pawan Kumar Chandana, and Naga Bharath Daka has developed Vikram-1, an orbital-class rocket.
It is intended to launch small satellites of up to 350 kg into Low Earth Orbit (LEO). The first mission is planned for a 450-kilometre orbit at an inclination of 60 degrees.
The seven-story, multi-stage launch vehicle features a fully carbon composite structure and is driven by solid and liquid propulsion systems developed in-house.
These systems feature 3D-printed engines and powerful solid rocket boosters. The launch vehicle is engineered for fast production and frequent missions.
Vikram-1 will transport technology demonstration payloads from Grahaa Space, Cosmoserve, DCubed, and Skyroot’s in-house SCOPE.
It will also host Cosmos Diamonds’ artwork titled Cosmic Bloom, along with a micro-art installation.
Created by Cosmos Diamonds, Cosmic Bloom showcases a diamond jewellery piece set on an aluminium base plate.
This micro-art installation, designed by Ajay Kumar Mattewada, features an 18-carat gold rocket carrying microscopic sculptures of Sir C.V. Raman, Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, and Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.
Each sculpture is smaller than a grain of rice and has been meticulously fashioned within the eye of a sewing needle.
The artwork honors the three pioneers whose achievements still motivate India’s scientific and space endeavors.
The mission will also transport an international payload, uD3PP and mD3RN, which has been developed by the Germany-based company DCubed GmbH.
The mission will also include the Embrace payload, developed by Cosmoserve Space. During the operation, the robotic arm will remain fixed to Vikram-1’s payload deck while carrying out its planned demonstration.
Mission Embrace seeks to execute what Cosmoserve calls the world’s first in-orbit demonstration of soft robotic capture.
According to the company, the mission will mark a major advance toward technologies that enable orbital sustainability and the removal of space debris, while also showcasing the expanding capabilities of India’s private space industry.
The project centers on a dual-spacecraft system that includes a robotic servicing vehicle engineered to capture and dispose of defunct satellites at a significantly lower cost than existing comparable options.
1Its soft robotic capture mechanism is designed to gently grasp unprepared, non-cooperative objects in orbit, which are the typical conditions associated with inactive satellites.