India · Ars Technica
India's first privately-published rocket reaches orbit on dramatic debut launch
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Indian space officials celebrated the debut flight of Skyroot Aerospace’s Vikram-1 rocket, India’s first fully commercial satellite launcher, as a “grand success” Saturday after an on-target climb into a 280-mile-high orbit following liftoff from an island spaceport in the Bay of Bengal.
Key facts
- The Vikram-1 lifted off from India’s primary spaceport on Sriharikota Island at 1:35 am EDT (06:35 UTC) Saturday, around midday at the launch base along India’s southeast coast
- Skyroot has, so far, raised approximately $160 million in capital, bringing the company’s valuation to $1.1 billion
- Skyroot’s rocket stands about 72 feet (22 meters) tall, with the capability to place payloads of up to 770 pounds (350 kilograms) into low-Earth orbit
- Nevertheless, the fourth stage did its job, firing its 3D-printed engine to reach an orbit approximately 280 miles (450 kilometers) high at an inclination of 60 degrees to the equator, close
Summary
The Vikram-1 lifted off from India’s primary spaceport on Sriharikota Island at 1:35 am EDT (06:35 UTC) Saturday, around midday at the launch base along India’s southeast coast. Vikram-1 is modest in size compared to India’s larger workhorse rockets. The flight Saturday went off without any major problems. The only sign of anything unusual came during the separation of the rocket’s third stage from its fourth stage.