Skyroot Aerospace did something on Saturday that most rocket companies fail to do on their first try. The startup's Vikram-1 rocket reached orbit on its maiden flight, making it India's first fully commercial orbital launch vehicle and placing Skyroot in rare company among private space ventures worldwide.
The Launch
Vikram-1 lifted off from Sriharikota Island in the Bay of Bengal at 1:35 a.m. EDT (06:35 UTC), around midday local time. A last-minute technical issue delayed the countdown by more than 30 minutes, but the solid-fueled first stage ignited cleanly and propelled the 72-foot (22-meter) rocket off the pad.
Three solid rocket motors fired in sequence to reach space. A small liquid-fueled fourth stage, powered by a 3D-printed engine, then accelerated to orbital velocity of roughly 17,000 mph. The only anomaly came during third-to-fourth stage separation, when the spent third stage motor lingered briefly near the upper stage before drifting away. It did not affect the outcome.
The rocket achieved an orbit of approximately 280 miles (450 kilometers) at a 60-degree inclination, close to preflight predictions. U.S. military tracking data confirmed the successful orbital insertion. Two CubeSats deployed as planned, while additional payloads remained attached to the upper stage.
Against the Odds
First orbital attempts usually fail. SpaceX needed four tries with Falcon 1 before succeeding in 2008. Rocket Lab's Electron failed on its 2017 debut. Blue Origin's New Glenn reached orbit on its first flight in 2025, but that team had years of suborbital experience with New Shepard.
"On the first attempt, reaching orbit, I never thought it was possible," said Pawan Kumar Chandana, Skyroot's co-founder and CEO. "Skyroot's team made it possible."
The company had set modest goals: lift off, clear the tower, gather ascent data. "The mission objective was only to lift off and clear the tower," said Pawan Goenka, chairman of IN-SPACe, India's commercial space promotion agency. "That was only about 100 meters, but what we went to was 450 kilometers. So the mission was absolutely perfect."
The Backstory
Skyroot was founded in 2018 by Chandana and fellow ISRO engineer Naga Bharath Daka. They chose solid-fueled propulsion first, optimizing for the shortest development timeline and lowest cost per launch. ISRO provided "handholding and support," including access to solid motor casting facilities and a launch pad at Sriharikota.
The rocket is named for Vikram Sarabhai, the physicist considered the father of India's space program. It is built from lightweight carbon composite materials and can place up to 770 pounds (350 kilograms) into low-Earth orbit, slightly larger than Rocket Lab's Electron.
What Comes Next
Skyroot has already raised approximately 1.1 billion valuation, making it one of India's most valuable space startups. The company employs over 1,000 people, mostly at its Hyderabad headquarters, with an average age of 28.
The roadmap includes the Vikram-1U, with strap-on boosters for heavier payloads, and the Vikram-2, which will add a cryogenic upper stage to reach 2,000 pounds (900 kilograms) to orbit. Chandana's ultimate vision involves larger, fully reusable liquid-fueled rockets launching with "daily cadence" from multiple countries.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has set a target of 50 annual launches for India's space industry by decade's end, called Chandana personally to congratulate the team. "This is a defining moment in India's space journey," Modi said. "The growing participation of our private sector is opening new frontiers and accelerating innovation."
A second Vikram-1 launch could happen before the end of the year.