India’s first privately built orbital rocket is ready on the launchpad at Sriharikota, awaiting what could become a historic moment for the country’s space sector.
Skyroot Aerospace’s Vikram 1 rocket, developed by a young team of engineers from Hyderabad, is set to attempt a feat that only a few private companies worldwide have achieved. The launch vehicle is a 23-metre-tall rocket with a diameter of 1.7 metres. It is built entirely with an advanced carbon composite structure and is capable of carrying payloads of up to 350 kilograms. The rocket uses a three-stage solid configuration along with a liquid-fuelled orbital adjustment module or OAM and carries a series of test payloads on board.
