India has yet again marked a historic milestone in the global space race as Skyroot Aerospace successfully launched its Vikram-1 rocket from ISRO’s Sriharikota facility. The achievement cements Skyroot’s status as India’s first space tech unicorn with a $1.1 billion valuation. It also makes India only the third country—after the United States and China—to possess a private company capable of executing orbital launches.The seven-story rocket took off at 12:05 PM India time (06:35 GMT), completing a 16-minute flight to reach Low Earth Orbit at an altitude of 280 miles (450km). Following the successful deployment, the company celebrated on X, formerly Twitter, posting, “Vikram-1 Test Flight-1 has reached orbit… History is made.”This is a step for Skyroot. It means Skyroot is getting closer to its goal of offering a kind of on-demand cab service to space. Skyroot co-founder and CEO Pawan Kumar Chandana, who used to work at ISRO said that companies that own satellites have a time getting them into space. They often have to wait for a time sometimes months or even years to get a spot on a big commercial rocket.Skyroot wants to change this by giving satellites their own special trips to space. These satellites can weigh, up to 350kg. Skyroot is doing this to help satellite operators get their satellites into space faster. Instead of waiting for a massive rocket flying on a rigid, shared schedule, customers can book a custom launch tailored to their specific orbital needs—functioning exactly like calling an Uber rather than waiting for a train. This business model closely mirrors the US-based company Rocket Lab.Named Aagman—the Sanskrit word for arrival—the maiden test flight successfully placed six payloads into orbit. The cargo included highly functional equipment such as a robotic arm designed to clear space debris, an Earth observation camera, and several satellites, including one from a German firm.Alongside the scientific instruments, the rocket carried two symbolic items that have captured public imagination in India. The first is a lab-grown diamond lotus named “Cosmic Bloom.” The second is a tiny gold rocket containing micro-sculptures of three iconic Indian scientists: CV Raman, APJ Abdul Kalam, and Vikram Sarabhai, the father of India’s space program. Each sculpture is smaller than a single grain of rice.Saturday’s successful flight is the first of two planned test launches scheduled for this year. If everything continues to go smoothly, Skyroot aims to begin full commercial operations next year. Operating out of their factory in Hyderabad, the company notes it has the manufacturing capacity to build one rocket every month.The company’s roots trace back to 2018, when Chandana and co-founder Naga Bharath Daka quit their jobs at ISRO to build rocket components. Their big break came in 2020 when the Indian government opened up the space sector to private enterprises, allowing them to use ISRO facilities. The Indian government wants India to have a part of the global space market. They want this to happen by 2030. Now India has only 2 percent of the market. They want to increase this to 10 percent. This goal is making a lot of people start space companies. In fact over 400 new space startups have been created already.Skyroot is one of these companies. They made news in November 2022. They launched a rocket that did not go all the way into space. This was still a deal because it was the first time a private company in India had done this. Now Skyroot has launched a rocket that can go all the way into space. This is a time for Indias space program. They are planning to send people to space. They are also going to send a spaceship to Venus by 2028.. They want to have their own space station by 2035.The people at Skyroot think they can help the space program.. They also think they can work with other countries. They think that 70 to 80 percent of their customers will be, from countries. Skyroot is going to launch satellites that will help people with things. These things include farming and talking to each other. They will also help people stay safe during disasters. They will help keep countries safe. This is an opportunity for Skyroot to make money and help people at the same time.
