July 18, 2026

Vikram-I, a small satellite launcher developed by an Indian Space Start-up, Skyroot Aerospace, lifted-off from Satish Dhawan Space Centre of ISRO on July 18, 2026 at 12:05:30 PM, marking a significant milestone in the Indian Space Programme. This launch is the first time that a private Indian company has undertaken an orbital launch of a rocket from Indian soil. The Government of India had announced space-sector reforms in 2020 allowing the participation of private industry in space activities in the country. The new Indian Space Policy has accelerated the growth of space start-ups in the country who are engaged in development of launch vehicles, satellites, space applications. Today’s launch has made Skyroot Aerospace, the first private company to successfully launch to orbit from Indian soil, that too, in the first attempt.Vikram-I carried multiple payloads out of which 2 satellites, SCOPE & Grahaa, were injected to a Low Earth Orbit. The remaining payloads on the upper stage are for carrying out various in-orbit experiments.

Skyroot Aerospace had earlier conducted a sub-orbital launch of a test rocket, Vikram-S from Sriharikota on November 18, 2022. Subsequently, Vikram-I was developed as a 4-stage rocket with 3 solid stages and a liquid stage, which can launch small satellites to LEO. ISRO& IN-SPACE provided handholding and support to this venture by facilitating this launch. ISRO provided access to the solid motor casting and static test facilities at SDSC, Sriharikota. The first stage solid motor was cast and tested at the facilities in SDSC. The second stage motor was also validated at the static test facility in SDSC.

The liquid engine used in the VIKRAM-I upper stage (RAMAN-I)was also tested at the LPSC test facility. During the pre-launch operations, all support was provided for the vehicle stage preparation, material handling, transport of stages to launch pad, trajectory analysis and vehicle integration on the First Launch Pad (FLP). ISRO’s safety team was ensuring safe operations by the Skyroot team at SDSC on a 24x7 basis.

IN-SPACe, the regulation & promotion agency for space activities in the country, played a major role in establishing a seamless mechanism for Non-Governmental Entities (NGEs) like Skyroot Aerospace to access the facilities of ISRO and provide the necessary technical consultancy, mission readiness reviews and launch clearances. ISRO & IN-SPACe congratulates the team at Skyroot Aerospace for the successful maiden launch of Vikram-I launcher. This launch has paved the way for similar ventures and opens up the gates to global commercial opportunities.