Overview
- Skyroot Aerospace has set liftoff for Vikram‑1 — Mission Aagaman — at 11:30 AM IST on July 18 from the First Launch Pad at SDSC‑SHAR in Sriharikota, and the company says all stages are stacked and final pad and telemetry checks are complete.
- The test flight will carry multiple technology demonstrations including Grahaa Space’s Solaras S3, Cosmoserve’s debris‑removal arm Embrace, Skyroot’s SCOPE, an in‑orbit demo from DCUBED, plus micro‑art and a gold artwork called Cosmic Bloom.
- Vikram‑1 is a seven‑storey, multi‑stage vehicle built with an all‑carbon composite structure, using 3D‑printed engines and mixed solid/liquid propulsion, and the maiden mission aims for roughly 450 km altitude at a 60° inclination.
- Skyroot describes Aagaman as the first of planned developmental flights that will collect in‑flight data on propulsion, stage separation, guidance and telemetry to qualify the launcher for future commercial service.
- The launch follows 2020 policy reforms that opened India’s space sector to private firms and, if successful, could speed a homegrown, on‑demand small‑sat launch industry that reflects years of work by about 1,000 staff and hundreds of suppliers.