Vikram-1

Vikram-1
	Vikram-1 on the First Launch Pad at SDSC SHAR
Function	Small-lift launch vehicle
Manufacturer	Skyroot Aerospace
Country of origin	India
Size
Height	24 m (79 ft)
Diameter	1.7 m;
Stages	4
Capacity
Payload to LEO (500 km @ 45° inclination)
Mass	1:350 kg (770 lb); 1U:550 kg (1,210 lb)
Payload to SSPO (500 km)
Mass	260 kg (570 lb)
Associated rockets
Comparable	Agnibaan; Alpha; Electron; SSLV;
Launch history
Status	Active
Launch sites	Satish Dhawan Space Centre; SSLV Launch Complex;
Total launches	1
Success(es)	1
First flight	18 July 2026
First stage
Diameter	1.7m
Powered by	Kalam 1200
Maximum thrust	1,000 kN (220,000 lbf)
Propellant	Solid
Second stage
Diameter	1.5m
Powered by	Kalam 250
Maximum thrust	250 kN (56,000 lbf)
Propellant	Solid
Third stage
Diameter	1.5m
Powered by	Kalam 100
Maximum thrust	100 kN (22,000 lbf)
Propellant	Solid
Fourth stage
Diameter	1.5m
Powered by	1 x Raman-II & 4 x Raman-I
Maximum thrust	3.4 kN (760 lbf)
Propellant	N2O4/MMH
	[edit on Wikidata]

Vikram-1 (Sanskrit, lit. 'Brave', also known as Vikram-I) is a four-stage, expendable orbital small-lift launch vehicle developed by Skyroot Aerospace. Its first three stages are solid stages, while the fourth stage is a liquid stage.

The first flight, known as Aagaman, flew on 18 July 2026. The launch was a success, making India the third country with a private orbital launch capability, after the U.S. and China.^[1]^[2]

Development

Skyroot Aerospace unveiled the Vikram-1 launch vehicle in October 2023 at its MAX-Q headquarters in Hyderabad.^[3] The rocket is named after Vikram Sarabhai, often described as the father of the Indian space program.^[4] The company stated that the rocket was developed to serve the growing global small satellite launch market.^[5]

The vehicle's development followed the successful launch of the suborbital demonstrator Vikram-S in November 2022, which made Skyroot the first Indian private company to launch a rocket from ISRO's launch facilities.^[6]

In May 2022, Skyroot completed a full-duration static test of the Kalam-100 solid rocket stage, a component of Vikram-1. Additional qualification tests, including stage separation tests and avionics validation, were carried out through 2024 and 2025.^[7]

In November 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the flight-ready configuration of Vikram-1 during the inauguration of Skyroot's Infinity Campus in Hyderabad.^[8]

Design

Vikram-1 is a four-stage orbital launch vehicle approximately 20 metres tall and 1.7 metres in diameter.^[9] The first three stages use solid propulsion, while the upper kick stage uses liquid propulsion for orbital insertion and adjustment manoeuvres.^[10]

The rocket incorporates carbon-composite airframes intended to reduce structural mass. Skyroot has also stated that the vehicle uses 3D-printed liquid engines and modular avionics systems.^[11]

The Kalam 250 has thrust vector control for steering. The upper stage features RCS thrusters for attitude control.^[12]

Skyroot advertises Vikram-1 as a responsive launch system capable of rapid integration and launch operations with minimal launch infrastructure requirements.^[13] It is capable of dedicated launches, or rideshare missions.^[5]

Launch history

The inaugural flight of this launch vehicle was the Aagaman (Sanskrit, 'Arrival') mission on 18 July 2026, which successfully launched miniaturized satellites into low Earth orbit.^[10]^[14]^[15] Skyroot described Aagaman as a test flight and stated that it planned to conduct additional test flights before beginning routine commercial launches. The mission's payload was injected into orbit approximately 15 minutes after liftoff.^[16]

Date / time (UTC)	Flight	Rocket (configuration)	Launch site	Payload	Orbit	Status
18 July 2026 06:35:30	Test Flight-1	Vikram-1	Satish Dhawan FLP	SCOPE^[17] SOLARAS S3^[17] EMBRACE^[17] Mission Aagaman^[17] UD3PP^[18] mD3RN^[18] COSMIC BLOOM^[18] MICRO ART TRIBUTE^[18]	LEO	Success
18 July 2026 06:35:30	'Mission Aagaman', the maiden flight of Vikram-1. Cosmoserve Space's robotic arm Embrace and an on-orbit demonstration from German company DCUBED were hosted on the upper stage of the mission. The rocket successfully reached orbit on its first attempt.^[14]
Q1 2027	TBA	Vikram-1U	Satish Dhawan	TBA	LEO	Planned
Q1 2027	Maiden flight of Vikram-1U configuration of Vikram-1 with additional solid rocket boosters.^[19]

References

↑ "'The dawn of a new space era': Vikram-1, India's 1st private orbital rocket, aces debut launch". Space. 17 July 2026. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
↑ Foust, Jeff (18 July 2026). "Skyroot Aerospace reaches orbit on first Vikram-1 launch". SpaceNews. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
↑ Thathoo, Chetan (24 October 2023). "Shooting For The Stars: Skyroot Unveils Orbital Rocket Vikram-I At Its New HQ In Hyderabad". Inc42 Media. Retrieved 24 May 2026.
↑ "India's first privately developed rocket reaches orbit on dramatic debut launch". Ars Technica. 19 July 2026. Retrieved 24 July 2026.
1 2 "Skyroot | On-Demand Space Launch Vehicles". www.skyroot.in. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
↑ "India successfully launches Vikram-S, first privately made rocket". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 24 May 2026.
↑ Alamalhodaei, Aria (20 May 2022). "Skyroot successfully completes full-duration stage test". TechCrunch. Retrieved 24 May 2026.
↑ "PM Modi to inaugurate Skyroot's Infinity Campus, unveil Vikram-I Orbital Rocket today". ddnews.gov.in. Archived from the original on 8 December 2025. Retrieved 24 May 2026.
↑ "Skyroot readies Vikram-1 for India's first private orbital launch - Manufacturing Today India". 26 April 2026. Retrieved 24 May 2026.
1 2 "India's Skyroot launches Vikram-1 in first private orbital rocket mission".
↑ "Skyroot Aerospace and Dhawan-II's More Powerful 3D-Printed Cryogenic Engine". www.cryogenicsociety.org. Retrieved 24 May 2026.
↑ "Skyroot successfully test fires Stage-2 of Vikram 1 space launch vehicle". The Hindu. 28 March 2024. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 29 July 2026.
↑ "MSN". www.msn.com. Retrieved 24 May 2026.
1 2 "'The dawn of a new space era': Vikram-1, India's 1st private orbital rocket, aces debut launch". Space. 17 July 2026. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
↑ "With Skyroot at the head of the class, India's private space industry seeks to take off". Ars Technica. 11 May 2026. Retrieved 20 May 2026.
↑ "India's Skyroot launches Vikram-1 in first private orbital rocket mission". Reuters. 18 July 2026. Retrieved 20 July 2026.
1 2 3 4 "Vikram-1". Gunther's Space Page. Retrieved 24 July 2026.
1 2 3 4 "Mission Aagaman". Gunther's Space Page. Retrieved 24 July 2026.
↑ Foust, Jeff (8 July 2026). "Skyroot prepares for first orbital launch attempt". SpaceNews. Retrieved 17 July 2026.

External links

Official website

[1] "'The dawn of a new space era': Vikram-1, India's 1st private orbital rocket, aces debut launch". Space. 17 July 2026. Retrieved 18 July 2026.

[2] Foust, Jeff (18 July 2026). "Skyroot Aerospace reaches orbit on first Vikram-1 launch". SpaceNews. Retrieved 18 July 2026.

[3] Thathoo, Chetan (24 October 2023). "Shooting For The Stars: Skyroot Unveils Orbital Rocket Vikram-I At Its New HQ In Hyderabad". Inc42 Media. Retrieved 24 May 2026.

[4] "India's first privately developed rocket reaches orbit on dramatic debut launch". Ars Technica. 19 July 2026. Retrieved 24 July 2026.

[:3-5] 1 2 "Skyroot | On-Demand Space Launch Vehicles". www.skyroot.in. Retrieved 18 July 2026.

[6] "India successfully launches Vikram-S, first privately made rocket". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 24 May 2026.

[7] Alamalhodaei, Aria (20 May 2022). "Skyroot successfully completes full-duration stage test". TechCrunch. Retrieved 24 May 2026.

[8] "PM Modi to inaugurate Skyroot's Infinity Campus, unveil Vikram-I Orbital Rocket today". ddnews.gov.in. Archived from the original on 8 December 2025. Retrieved 24 May 2026.

[9] "Skyroot readies Vikram-1 for India's first private orbital launch - Manufacturing Today India". 26 April 2026. Retrieved 24 May 2026.

[:2-10] 1 2 "India's Skyroot launches Vikram-1 in first private orbital rocket mission".

[11] "Skyroot Aerospace and Dhawan-II's More Powerful 3D-Printed Cryogenic Engine". www.cryogenicsociety.org. Retrieved 24 May 2026.

[12] "Skyroot successfully test fires Stage-2 of Vikram 1 space launch vehicle". The Hindu. 28 March 2024. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 29 July 2026.

[13] "MSN". www.msn.com. Retrieved 24 May 2026.

[:1-14] 1 2 "'The dawn of a new space era': Vikram-1, India's 1st private orbital rocket, aces debut launch". Space. 17 July 2026. Retrieved 18 July 2026.

[15] "With Skyroot at the head of the class, India's private space industry seeks to take off". Ars Technica. 11 May 2026. Retrieved 20 May 2026.

[16] "India's Skyroot launches Vikram-1 in first private orbital rocket mission". Reuters. 18 July 2026. Retrieved 20 July 2026.

[payloads-17] 1 2 3 4 "Vikram-1". Gunther's Space Page. Retrieved 24 July 2026.

[Aagaman-18] 1 2 3 4 "Mission Aagaman". Gunther's Space Page. Retrieved 24 July 2026.

[19] Foust, Jeff (8 July 2026). "Skyroot prepares for first orbital launch attempt". SpaceNews. Retrieved 17 July 2026.

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Development

Design

Launch history

See also

References

External links