Spreading wings: On the Vikram-1 launch

The launch of the Vikram-1 rocket built by Skyroot Aerospace from Sriharikota marked the Indian private sector’s first orbital flight. Vikram-1 is a four-stage launcher designed to provide what Skyroot has called a “cab service” for satellites, letting customers pick their orbit and launch schedule rather than accept the orbital slot and drop-off point presented by rideshares, at a commensurate premium. Skyroot is targeting a price per launch below that of the PSLV and above that of the SSLV (projected), to be achieved in part by basing the rocket on carbon-composite structures. It also has plans for a more powerful Vikram-2 rocket. The company was founded in 2018 by two former ISRO engineers and its path to orbit followed engine tests in 2020 and a suborbital flight in 2022. For roughly six decades, ISRO held a state monopoly over launch activities in India while private firms were limited to being suppliers. Reforms since 2020 and the 2023 Space Policy opened the door for commercial players and freed ISRO to focus on R&D and scientific missions. In 2024, up to 49% FDI in launch vehicles was allowed by the automatic route. The push is also part of the government’s ambition of growing the national space economy to $44 billion by 2033 from around $8 billion alongside satellite manufacturing, communications, navigation, and earth observation.