- India's first private orbital rocket Vikram-1 launched from Sriharikota at 12:05 p.m
- Vikram-1 is the first Indian orbital rocket with an all-carbon composite structure
- The rocket's orbital module uses India's first fully 3D-printed liquid engine
India's first privately developed orbital-class rocket, Vikram-1, built by Hyderabad-based Skyroot Aerospace has been successfully launched at exactly 12:05 p.m. from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.
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#WATCH | Andhra Pradesh: India's first privately developed orbital-class rocket, Vikram-1, launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota
— ANI (@ANI) July 18, 2026
Built by Hyderabad-based Skyroot Aerospace, Vikram-1 is powered by three solid-fuel stages and a liquid orbital adjustment… pic.twitter.com/QQC9CPjcxH
Mission Aagaman is the maiden orbital test flight of Skyroot Aerospace, marking the first attempt by an Indian private company to reach orbit with its rocket.
Vikram-1 is also India's first orbital launch vehicle built with an all-carbon composite structure. The build will help its performance as the material is lighter and stronger than conventional rocket-grade steel.
The rocket's orbital adjustment module is powered by a fully 3D-printed liquid engine, marking the first time such an engine is being used on an Indian orbital launch vehicle.
The first stage of Vikram-1 is the country's longest monolithic carbon composite rocket stage. It showcases advances in indigenous composite manufacturing and aerospace engineering. According to the company, Vikram-1 uses advanced pneumatic systems to separate rocket stages and payload fairings.
The mission is designed to deploy payloads weighing up to 350 kg into a 450-km Low Earth Orbit (LEO) with a 60-degree inclination.
Among the payloads is the EMBRACE mission carrying robotic arm technology designed for future space debris removal. This makes Aagaman a platform for testing technologies aimed at cleaning Earth's crowded orbital environment.
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