Vikram-1 is India's first privately developed orbital rocket, built by Skyroot Aerospace. It is a four-stage small-satellite launch vehicle that delivers payloads to Low Earth Orbit.

Skyroot Aerospace, a Hyderabad-based private space company founded in 2018 by former ISRO engineers Pawan Kumar Chandana and Naga Bharath Daka.

When did Vikram-1 launch?

On 18 July 2026, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota, on a mission named Aagaman.

What does "Aagaman" mean?

It is Sanskrit for "arrival." Skyroot's earlier 2022 suborbital flight was named "Prarambh," meaning "the beginning."

Is Vikram-1 the same as Vikram-S?

No. Vikram-S in 2022 was a single-stage suborbital technology demonstrator. Vikram-1 is a four-stage orbital rocket, a far more complex and capable vehicle.

Why is Vikram-1 historic?

It is the first Indian rocket built by a private company to reach orbit, making India the third country with private orbital launch capability, after the USA and China.

How tall is Vikram-1?

About 22 metres, with a core diameter near 1.7 metres.

How many stages does Vikram-1 have?

Four: three solid-propellant stages plus a liquid upper stage that also serves as the Orbital Adjustment Module.

What fuel does Vikram-1 use?

he first three stages use solid composite propellant. The fourth uses hypergolic liquids, monomethylhydrazine (MMH) and nitrogen tetroxide (NTO).

What are the Kalam engines?

The three solid stages, Kalam-1200, Kalam-250 and Kalam-100, named after Dr A. P. J. Abdul Kalam. The numbers broadly reflect thrust class in kilonewtons.

What is the Raman engine?

The liquid upper-stage engine, named after Sir C. V. Raman. Vikram-1 uses a cluster of four producing about 3.4 kN combined. They are 3D-printed and restartable.

How much can Vikram-1 carry?

Roughly 260 kg to a 500 km Sun-Synchronous Orbit, and up to about 350 kg to Low Earth Orbit, depending on mission profile.

What orbit did Vikram-1 reach on its first flight?

A near-circular Low Earth Orbit at approximately 450 km altitude, at a 60-degree inclination.

What is the difference between suborbital and orbital?

Suborbital reaches space but falls back. Orbital achieves enough horizontal speed, about 7.64 km/s at 450 km, to keep circling Earth. Orbit requires roughly thirty times the kinetic energy of simply reaching space.

What is orbital velocity?

The horizontal speed required to maintain orbit, calculated as v = √(GM/r). At 450 km altitude this works out to about 7.64 km/s.

What is escape velocity, and does Vikram-1 reach it?

Escape velocity, about 11.2 km/s from Earth's surface, is the speed to leave Earth's gravity permanently. Vikram-1 does not need it, since orbiting requires less than escape velocity.

How is Vikram-1 different from PSLV?

PSLV is a much larger government medium-lift vehicle carrying about 3,800 kg to LEO. Vikram-1 is a small private launcher carrying 260 to 350 kg, built for dedicated on-demand

Skyroot Vikram-1 Explained: India's First Private Orbital Rocket

1. Introduction: The Morning a Private Company Sent India to Orbit On the morning of 18 July 2026, a slender rocket about 22 metres tall lifted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota, arced east over the Bay of Bengal, and released its payloads into a near-circular orbit roughly 450 kilometres above the…

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