India achieved a historic milestone on 18 July 2026 with the successful launch of Vikram-1, the country’s first privately developed orbital launch vehicle, by Hyderabad-based Skyroot Aerospace. Mission Aagaman, launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, is a defining milestone in India’s space journey, highlighting the growing success of the country’s public-private partnership model in advancing space exploration and commercial launch capabilities.
The mission is the culmination of Skyroot Aerospace’s journey since its establishment in 2018 by former ISRO scientists Pawan Kumar Chandana and Naga Bharath Daka. Under Mission Prarambh, the company first demonstrated its capabilities in November 2022 by launching Vikram-S, India’s first privately built suborbital rocket. Vikram-1, which has a capacity of carrying 350 Kg of payload, becomes the company’s first orbital launch vehicle in the three-part series (Vikram-1, Vikram-2 and Vikram-3), and the first privately developed Indian rocket to successfully place satellites into the orbit.
Vikram-1 lifted off successfully, completed all stage separations as planned, and its liquid-fuel Orbital Adjustment Module performed the final orbital insertion. The mission successfully deployed all six customer payloads (Skyroot’s SCOPE satellite, DCUBED’s technology demonstration payload, Grahaa Space’s SOLARAS S3 satellite, and Cosmoserve Space’s Embrace) into a 450-km (280 miles) Low Earth Orbit (LEO). It also carried two symbolic payloads: Cosmic Bloom, a floral-shaped artwork, and an 18-karat gold micro-rocket. The micro-rocket rocket features microscopic sculptures of Nobel laureate C. V. Raman, space programme pioneer Vikram Sarabhai, and former President A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, paying tribute to the visionaries who laid the foundation of India’s space and scientific achievements. The rocket uses all-carbon composite structure, reliable solid-fuel boosters and a 3D-printed liquid engine.
The launch is also a testament to India’s space sector reforms introduced in 2020 and 2023, which opened the sector to private participation. The establishment of IN-SPACe has enabled non-government entities to design, build, and launch space systems while collaborating with ISRO. Currently valued at around USD 8.4 billion, the space sector is projected to expand nearly USD 40–45 billion by 2030, with a long-term target of reaching USD 100 billion by 2040.
Beyond successfully placing six payloads into orbit, Vikram-1 demonstrates that Indian private companies can now independently design, manufacture and operate world-class orbital launch vehicles. The mission is expected to accelerate commercial launch opportunities, strengthen India’s position in the global small satellite launch market, and inspire the next generation of space entrepreneurs.
Ahead of the launch, Prime Minister Narendra Modi described Vikram-1 as “a historic new frontier for India’s space journey” and encouraged citizens, especially young people, to witness the mission. Following the successful launch, he congratulated the Skyroot team.
Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences, and Department of Atomic Energy and Department of Space, also witnessed the Vikram-1 launch.
