Vikram-1, the country’s first privately developed orbital-class rocket, is set to lift off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota on Saturday (July 18, 2026) at 11.30 a.m. The launch is expected to mark the entry of Indian private space technology companies into the global launch services market.

Rocket developed by Skyroot Aerospace

Developed by Hyderabad-based space launch company Skyroot Aerospace, Vikram-1 has secured all the necessary clearances for its maiden mission, named Mission Aagaman.

This will be the first attempt by a private company in India to launch an orbital-class rocket. The relevant authorities have issued the required airspace and maritime notices, designating restricted zones along the vehicle’s ascent and impact corridor for launch day.

Design structure

Vikram-1 is designed to carry small satellites weighing up to 350 kg to Low Earth Orbit (LEO). Its inaugural flight will target a 450-km orbit with an inclination of 60 degrees.

The seven-storey-tall, multi-stage launch vehicle has been built using an all-carbon composite structure and is powered by in-house developed solid and liquid propulsion systems. These include 3D-printed engines and high-thrust solid rocket boosters. The vehicle has been designed for rapid manufacturing and a high launch cadence.

The flight sequence, from lift-off to orbital injection, comprises 14 phases and is expected to last 15.46 minutes.

Vikram-1 ready for lift-off

Skyroot Aerospace said it had received launch authorisation from the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe), the agency responsible for promoting, authorising and supervising private-sector space activities in India.

The company said all stages of Vikram-1 had been successfully integrated and stacked on the launch pad. Final integrated checks of the vehicle were completed from Skyroot’s launch control centre, along with interface checks involving telemetry ground stations and tracking radars.

Payloads to be launched by Vikram-1

Vikram-1 will carry technology demonstration payloads from Grahaa Space, Cosmoserve, DCubed and Skyroot’s own SCOPE. It will also carry Cosmos Diamonds’ artwork Cosmic Bloom and a micro-art installation.

Developed by Cosmos Diamonds, Cosmic Bloom features a diamond jewellery creation mounted on an aluminium base plate. The micro-art installation, created by Ajay Kumar Mattewada, consists of an 18-carat gold rocket carrying microscopic sculptures of Sir C.V. Raman, Dr. Vikram Sarabhai and Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. Each sculpture is smaller than a grain of rice and has been crafted inside the eye of a sewing needle.

The artwork pays tribute to the three visionaries whose contributions continue to inspire India’s scientific and space pursuits. The mission will also carry an international payload, uD3PP and mD3RN, developed by Germany-based DCubed GmbH.

Robotic arm to remove space debris

Also on board will be the Embrace payload developed by Cosmoserve Space. During the mission, the robotic arm will remain attached to Vikram-1’s payload deck while carrying out its planned demonstration.

Mission Embrace aims to carry out what Cosmoserve describes as the world’s first demonstration of soft robotic capture in orbit. The company said the mission would represent a significant step towards technologies that support orbital sustainability and the removal of space debris, while highlighting the growing capabilities of India’s private space sector.

At the core of the project is a dual-spacecraft system featuring a robotic servicing spacecraft designed to capture and remove defunct satellites at a fraction of the cost of comparable solutions currently available. The soft robotic capture mechanism has been developed to latch on gently to unprepared and non-cooperative objects in orbit, the conditions typically encountered with defunct satellites.

Vikram-1, the country’s first privately developed orbital-class rocket, is set to lift off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota on Saturday (July 18, 2026) at 11.30 a.m. The launch is expected to mark the entry of Indian private space technology companies into the global launch services market.

Rocket developed by Skyroot Aerospace

Developed by Hyderabad-based space launch company Skyroot Aerospace, Vikram-1 has secured all the necessary clearances for its maiden mission, named Mission Aagaman.

This will be the first attempt by a private company in India to launch an orbital-class rocket. The relevant authorities have issued the required airspace and maritime notices, designating restricted zones along the vehicle’s ascent and impact corridor for launch day.

Design structure

Vikram-1 is designed to carry small satellites weighing up to 350 kg to Low Earth Orbit (LEO). Its inaugural flight will target a 450-km orbit with an inclination of 60 degrees.

The seven-storey-tall, multi-stage launch vehicle has been built using an all-carbon composite structure and is powered by in-house developed solid and liquid propulsion systems. These include 3D-printed engines and high-thrust solid rocket boosters. The vehicle has been designed for rapid manufacturing and a high launch cadence.

The flight sequence, from lift-off to orbital injection, comprises 14 phases and is expected to last 15.46 minutes.

Vikram-1 ready for lift-off

Skyroot Aerospace said it had received launch authorisation from the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe), the agency responsible for promoting, authorising and supervising private-sector space activities in India.

The company said all stages of Vikram-1 had been successfully integrated and stacked on the launch pad. Final integrated checks of the vehicle were completed from Skyroot’s launch control centre, along with interface checks involving telemetry ground stations and tracking radars.

Payloads to be launched by Vikram-1

Vikram-1 will carry technology demonstration payloads from Grahaa Space, Cosmoserve, DCubed and Skyroot’s own SCOPE. It will also carry Cosmos Diamonds’ artwork Cosmic Bloom and a micro-art installation.

Developed by Cosmos Diamonds, Cosmic Bloom features a diamond jewellery creation mounted on an aluminium base plate. The micro-art installation, created by Ajay Kumar Mattewada, consists of an 18-carat gold rocket carrying microscopic sculptures of Sir C.V. Raman, Dr. Vikram Sarabhai and Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. Each sculpture is smaller than a grain of rice and has been crafted inside the eye of a sewing needle.

The artwork pays tribute to the three visionaries whose contributions continue to inspire India’s scientific and space pursuits. The mission will also carry an international payload, uD3PP and mD3RN, developed by Germany-based DCubed GmbH.

Robotic arm to remove space debris

Also on board will be the Embrace payload developed by Cosmoserve Space. During the mission, the robotic arm will remain attached to Vikram-1’s payload deck while carrying out its planned demonstration.

Mission Embrace aims to carry out what Cosmoserve describes as the world’s first demonstration of soft robotic capture in orbit. The company said the mission would represent a significant step towards technologies that support orbital sustainability and the removal of space debris, while highlighting the growing capabilities of India’s private space sector.

At the core of the project is a dual-spacecraft system featuring a robotic servicing spacecraft designed to capture and remove defunct satellites at a fraction of the cost of comparable solutions currently available. The soft robotic capture mechanism has been developed to latch on gently to unprepared and non-cooperative objects in orbit, the conditions typically encountered with defunct satellites.

India’s first privately developed orbital-class rocket, Vikram-1 will be launched on July 18, 2026, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota.

Private space launch company Skyroot Aerospace on Thursday (July 16, 2026) announced that it will attempt to launch Vikram-1 from the space port’s first launch pad at 11.30 a.m.

“We have done everything that could be done to test Vikram-1 on the ground. On July 18, we are eager to see how Vikram-1 performs in a real flight environment for the first time. This is our first test flight, and we will be getting valuable data from it. This will be foundational to Skyroot’s aspirations of establishing a launch cadence. We are excited to see this through,” Pawan Kumar Chandana, Co-founder & CEO, Skyroot Aerospace.

Skyroot said all stages of Vikram-1 have been successfully integrated and stacked on the launch pad. Following this, the final integrated checks of the vehicle on the launch pad from Skyroot’s launch control centre have been completed along with the interface checks with all the telemetry ground stations and tracking radars.

Vikram-1 is a seven-storey-tall, multi-stage orbital launch vehicle built with an all-carbon composite structure and powered by in-house-developed propulsion systems, including 3D-printed engines and high-thrust solid-fuel rocket boosters. Designed to carry small satellites weighing up to 350 kg to Low Earth Orbit (LEO), its first test flight is targeting a 450 km orbit at 60° inclination.

Vikram-1, will carry technology demonstration payloads from Grahaa Space, Cosmoserve, DCubed and Skyroot’s own SCOPE, along with Cosmos Diamonds’ artwork “Cosmic Bloom” and a micro-art piece.

“The small satellite launch market is deeply constrained on the supply side. At the same time, the demand for services enabled by satellites in space will only continue to grow, and that is where Skyroot’s opportunity lies. The clearance of Vikram-1 for flight following rigorous testing is a defining milestone in India’s space journey. This first test flight marks the beginning of Skyroot’s aspiration to open space for all,” Mr. Chandana said.

Naga Bharath Daka, Co-founder & COO, Skyroot Aerospace, said that the launch represents the hopes and hard work of around 1,000 people, the contributions of over 400 suppliers, and nearly 3,000 days of resolve to build a global offering from India.

“This test flight will show us how every technology we have developed over the years performs in real-world conditions. With the in-flight data gathered from this mission, we will return to the shop floor to learn, improve, and build further. This test flight is the first step towards creating a reliable, on-demand launch company for the world from India,” he said.