Mod 1: Private Space Sector & Vikram-1

Historic Launch of Vikram-1 by Private Sector:

India achieved a historic milestone in space science on July 18, 2026, when a private aerospace company crossed a boundary never breached before by the domestic private sector. Hyderabad-based Skyroot Aerospace successfully launched its privately developed orbital-class rocket, Vikram-1, from the first launch pad of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, placing 6 payloads into a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at an altitude of 450 km.

For the first time in India, a private company placed payloads into Earth's orbit. Following the US and China, India is now the third country to have a successful orbital-class rocket launch by the private sector. An orbital-class rocket refers to a powerful launch vehicle capable of overcoming Earth's gravity to place a payload into orbit. This mission, named Mission Aagaman, was designed to place small satellites weighing up to 350 kg into a 450 km LEO.

The 6 Payloads Launched:

• Cosmoserve Space's 'Ambase', demonstrating robotic arms for space debris removal.
• Grah Space's energy technology demonstration mission 'Solaras'.
• Skyroot's own experimental satellite 'SCOPE'.
• A German test payload and 'Cosmic Bloom Lotus' made of 32 diamonds developed in a Bengaluru lab.
• A symbolic 18-carat gold rocket carrying PM Narendra Modi's 'Vande Mataram' message, postcards from Indian astronauts and scientists, and miniature statues of Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, Sir CV Raman, and Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the Skyroot team, calling it a vital milestone for India's growing space ecosystem. Skyroot Aerospace was founded in 2018 in Hyderabad by former ISRO scientists Pawan Kumar Chandana (Co-founder & CEO) and Naga Bharath Daka (Co-founder & COO), growing into a $1.1 billion (approx. ₹10,000 crore) company in just 8 years.