Skyroot Aerospace's First Orbital Launch
Skyroot Aerospace became the first Indian private company to successfully launch a rocket into orbit from Indian soil when its Vikram-I launch vehicle lifted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota on 18 July 2026. The milestone marked a major transition in India's space programme from a predominantly government-led ecosystem toward one in which private Indian companies can independently develop and launch orbital-class rockets. Skyroot's journey began in Hyderabad in 2018 and progressed through privately developed rocket engines, the first private Indian rocket launch with Vikram-S in 2022, development and testing of Vikram-I, and the creation of a growing commercial space-launch company.
Published by Whitepill on
People involved
Timeline
1 January 2018
Skyroot Aerospace established in Hyderabad
Space scientists Pawan Kumar Chandana and Naga Bharath Daka established Skyroot Aerospace in Hyderabad with the goal of developing privately built launch vehicles and making access to space more accessible.
1 January 2020
Skyroot conducts first static fire test of Raman-1
Skyroot achieved India's first static fire test of a privately developed rocket engine with its Raman-1 solid propulsion system, marking an early demonstration of indigenous private rocket-engine development.
1 January 2021
Skyroot tests Dhawan-1 cryogenic engine
Skyroot successfully test-fired Dhawan-1, described by the company as India's first privately developed cryogenic rocket engine, demonstrating progress toward more advanced orbital launch vehicles.
1 March 2021
Skyroot begins formal collaboration with ISRO
Skyroot signed an agreement with the Department of Space to access ISRO facilities and expertise for testing and qualification of its launch-vehicle technologies, helping accelerate development of its Vikram rocket family.
1 January 2022
Vikram-S development completed
Skyroot completed development and preparations for Vikram-S, a single-stage suborbital demonstration rocket designed to validate technologies for the company's future orbital launch vehicles.
18 November 2022
Vikram-S becomes India's first privately launched rocket
Skyroot successfully launched Vikram-S from Sriharikota on Mission Prarambh, making it the first privately developed rocket to launch from India. The rocket reached a peak altitude of 88.8 km and achieved a maximum velocity of Mach 5.07 during its 301.4-second flight.
18 November 2022
Mission Prarambh validates key Vikram technologies
The Vikram-S mission validated Skyroot's solid propulsion, carbon-composite structures, avionics, telemetry and flight-control technologies that would feed into the development of its orbital Vikram-I vehicle.
21 July 2023
Raman-II engine successfully tested
Skyroot successfully tested its regeneratively cooled Raman-II liquid engine at ISRO's Liquid Thruster Test Facility in Mahendragiri. The engine produced 820 N of sea-level thrust and 1,460 N of vacuum thrust during the test.
1 November 2023
Skyroot continues development of Vikram-I
Following the success of Vikram-S, Skyroot continued development and testing of the multi-stage Vikram-I orbital launch vehicle, including propulsion, structures, avionics and separation systems.
1 January 2024
Vikram-I development advances
Skyroot continued qualification and subsystem testing for Vikram-I while preparing the vehicle for its first orbital mission.
1 January 2024
Skyroot expands private launch capabilities
The company continued building its engineering and manufacturing capabilities for the Vikram family of launch vehicles, with the objective of providing dedicated and rideshare launches for small satellites.
1 January 2025
Skyroot advances Vikram-I qualification
Skyroot progressed through structural, propulsion and launch-vehicle qualification activities as it prepared Vikram-I for its maiden orbital mission.
1 August 2025
KALAM 1200 first-stage motor tested
The first-stage solid motor of Vikram-I underwent static testing at ISRO's Satish Dhawan Space Centre facilities with support from ISRO and IN-SPACe.
27 November 2025
Vikram-I unveiled
Skyroot unveiled its Vikram-I orbital launch vehicle as it moved toward its maiden orbital mission, highlighting the company's progress from a startup developing engines and suborbital rockets to an orbital launch provider.
27 November 2025
Skyroot opens Infinity Campus
Skyroot's Infinity Campus in Hyderabad was inaugurated, expanding the company's infrastructure for launch-vehicle design, development and manufacturing.
25 April 2026
Vikram-I transported to Sriharikota
Skyroot's Vikram-I was transported to the launch site at Satish Dhawan Space Centre in preparation for India's first private orbital rocket launch.
7 May 2026
Skyroot becomes India's first space-tech unicorn
Skyroot reached a reported valuation of approximately USD 1.1 billion, becoming India's first space-tech unicorn as it approached its first orbital launch attempt.
18 July 2026
Vikram-I successfully reaches orbit
Skyroot's Vikram-I lifted off from Satish Dhawan Space Centre at 12:05:30 PM IST and successfully reached orbit, making Skyroot the first private Indian company to successfully launch an orbital rocket from Indian soil, and achieving the milestone on its first attempt.
18 July 2026
Vikram-I deploys satellites into Low Earth Orbit
Vikram-I carried multiple payloads, including the SCOPE and Grahaa satellites, which were successfully injected into Low Earth Orbit. Additional payloads on the upper stage were designated for in-orbit experiments.
18 July 2026
India completes first private orbital launch from its own soil
The successful Vikram-I mission established a new milestone for India's private space industry, demonstrating that an Indian private company could independently take an orbital-class launch vehicle from development through successful launch and payload deployment.