Gandhinagar, July 18 (IANS). India has achieved another historic achievement in the space sector. Vikram-1, the first orbital launch vehicle of private space company Skyroot Aerospace, achieved success in its very first mission and successfully placed the satellite in the designated orbit (orbit) at an altitude of 450 kilometers above the Earth on time. This achievement is being considered as the beginning of a new era for India’s private space sector.
Speaking to news agency IANS, former ISRO Ahmedabad Director Nilesh M. Desai expressed happiness over this success and said that on July 18, 2026, at 12:05 pm, the Vikram-1 launch vehicle developed by Skyroot Aerospace was successfully launched. About 16 minutes and 20 seconds after launch, i.e. around 12:21 am, it successfully completed its mission and placed the satellite in a prescribed orbit of 450 kilometres.
Nilesh Desai said, “This is not just a successful launch, but a very important achievement for the country.”
Desai further told IANS that the space sector reforms undertaken by the central government in 2020 after the Covid-19 pandemic were aimed at increasing India’s share in the global space economy. At that time, India’s share was around 1.71 percent, which was targeted to be taken initially to 5 percent and later to 10 percent. He said that the success of Vikram-1 is a big and decisive step in this direction.
Even before the launch of Vikram-1, Nilesh Desai had described it as a historic opportunity for the Indian space industry. He had said that this launch of Skyroot Aerospace will prove to be a new beginning for India’s private space companies.
According to him, the flight of the first orbital launch vehicle of a private company from the first launch pad (FLP-1) of Sriharikota will be recorded in golden letters in the history of the Indian space sector.
He had said that this would not be just a rocket launch, but a symbol of the capability and self-reliance of India’s private space industry.
After the success of Vikram-1 mission, many eminent personalities including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, ISRO Chairman Dr. V. Narayanan and industrialist Gautam Adani congratulated the entire team of Skyroot Aerospace.
Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani wrote on social media platform X that the success of all mission objectives in the first orbital flight of Vikram-1 is a historic milestone for India’s rapidly growing private space sector.
Congratulating Skyroot Aerospace co-founders Pawan Chandana, Naga Bharat Daka, the entire team, ISRO and In-Space, he said that India’s private space sector has created a new history today.
Gautam Adani said, “Vikram-1 has successfully accomplished all mission objectives in its maiden orbital flight, ushering in a new era for India’s private space sector. It is a true example of the spirit of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’.”
ISRO Chairman Dr. V. Narayanan said that the first successful orbital launch of Skyroot Aerospace’s Vikram-1 is a major achievement for India’s rapidly developing space ecosystem and reflects the rapid progress of the country’s private space sector.
Speaking to the media after the successful orbital mission, he said that developing an orbital launch vehicle within only 8 years of the company’s inception and achieving the mission in the first attempt is an extraordinary achievement.
–IANS
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