New Delhi, July 16 (IANS). The country’s private space company Skyroot Aerospace on Thursday announced that it will attempt the first test flight of its Vikram-1 orbital rocket from the first launch pad of the Satish Dhawan Space Center (SDSC-SHAR) in Sriharikota on July 18.
This launch will be historic in many ways, as for the first time an Orbital class rocket completely designed and developed by a private Indian company will attempt to take off from Indian soil.
Vikram-1 will carry several technology demonstration payloads, including payloads from Graha Space, CosmoServe, DCubed and Skyroot’s own SCOPE. Additionally, Cosmos Diamonds’ artwork “Cosmic Bloom” and a micro-art piece will also be a part of the mission.
In a statement, the company said that the relevant authorities have issued the necessary airspace and maritime notices for the launch, under which the flight path of Vikram-1 and the restricted areas around the potential impact area have been formally notified on the day of launch.
Pawan Kumar Chandana, co-founder and chief executive officer (CEO), Skyroot Aerospace, said that every possible ground-level testing process of Vikram-1 has been completed. Now the company is excited to see its performance during actual flight for the first time. He said that this is the first test flight and from this the company will get many important technical data.
He said that this mission will lay a strong foundation towards Skyroot’s regular space launch programme. According to him, the global market for small satellite launches is currently suffering from a supply shortage, while the demand for space-based services is continuously increasing. In such a situation, this situation is creating new opportunities for companies like Skyroot.
Vikram-1, about seven storeys high, is a multi-stage rocket, which is made entirely of carbon composite structure. It uses a propulsion system developed by the company, which includes 3D-printed engines and high-capacity solid-fuel boosters.
This campaign named ‘Mission Arrival’ is the second mission of Skyroot. Earlier, the company had completed the successful sub-orbital flight of Vikram-S on 18 November 2022, which became the first private rocket to reach space from Indian soil.
Vikram-1 has been designed in such a way that it can place small satellites weighing up to 350 kg in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). Its first test flight aims to reach an orbit of 450 km altitude with 60 degrees inclination.
–IANS
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