Skyroot Successfully Launches India's First Privately-Made Rocket
It reached an altitude of 89.5 kilometres and completed the required parameters, according to co-founder Pawan Chandana.
Telangana-based Skyroot Aerospace Pvt. Ltd. has successfully launched India's first privately-made rocket — Vikram-S.
The rocket, a single-stage solid fuelled, sub-orbital vehicle carrying three payloads, was launched from India's spaceport at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.
It reached an altitude of 89.5 kilometres and completed the required parameters, according to co-founder Pawan Kumar Chandana.
The launch was authorised by the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Center, Department of Space on Nov. 16. The company said it took about two years to develop, and has been built using carbon composite structures and 3D-printed components.
Vikram-S. (Source: Company)
Skyroot, founded in June 2018 by Pawan Kumar Chandana and Naga Bharath Daka, claims to be the country's largest privately funded space start up with Rs 526 crore raised as capital till date.
The first private rocket launch comes about two years after the government amended space regulations and demonopolised the sector, allowing private entities to develop and propel their own technologies into outer space.
That allowed the early crop of Indian spacetech startups such as Skyroot, AgniKul Cosmos and Pixxel Space to venture and raise funds to launch their own vehicles.
On Nov. 8, rival AgniKul said that it has tested the single-piece, fully 3D printed engine and secured flight termination system packages from ISRO. The company is planning to test launch its rocket Agnibaan before December 2022.