What is Vikram-I, India’s first private rocket, unveiled by PM Modi?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday unveiled India’s first orbital rocket, Vikram-I. The rocket produced by Skyroot can launch satellites into orbit. The Prime Minister also inaugurated India’s space start-up Skyroot’s Infinity Campus in Hyderabad through video conferencing. The state-of-the-art facility will have a workspace of approximately 2,00,000 square feet for designing, developing, integrating and testing multiple launch vehicles, with the capacity to produce one orbital rocket every month.

What is Skyroot Aviation?

Skyroot is India’s leading private space company, founded by Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) graduates and former ISRO scientists-turned-entrepreneurs Pawan Chandana and Bharath Dhaka.

What is Vikram-I?

Vikram-I is India’s first private space rocket. It was built by Skyroot Aerospace as the first orbital launch vehicle. Named after Vikram Sarabhai, the father of India’s space program, Vikram-I was designed to put satellites into orbit. The rocket is built to target the small satellite segment and is capable of putting multiple satellites into orbit in a single mission.

Characteristics and features of Vikram-I

1. Skyroot says Vikram-I can lift 350 kg to low Earth orbit, 260 kg to sun-synchronous orbit, 290 kg to 500 km sun-synchronous orbit or 480 kg to 500 km low Earth orbit at an inclination of 45 degrees.
2. Vikram-I is 20 meters tall and 1.7 meters in diameter.
3. It produces a thrust of 1,200 kN and uses an all-carbon composite body to keep the vehicle light.
4. Its design allows it to carry approximately 300 kg into low Earth orbit.
5. The company says the rocket can be assembled and launched from any launch point in 24 to 72 hours.

According to a press release by PMO, Skyroot became the first Indian private company to launch a rocket into space by launching suborbital rocket Vikram-S in November 2022. This is seen as a step towards making India a global space power.