India’s first privately developed launch vehicle

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About the vehicle-

• It was developed by Hyderabad-based space startup Skyroot Aerospace.  
• The maiden mission of Skyroot Aerospace, named ‘Prarambh’ (the beginning), will carry three customer payloads. 
• With this mission, Skyroot Aerospace is set to become the first private space company in India to launch a rocket into space, heralding a new era for the space sector which was opened up in 2020 to facilitate private sector participation.
• The Vikram-S rocket is a single-stage sub-orbital launch vehicle which would carry three customer payloads and help test and validate the majority of the technologies in the Vikram series of space launch vehicles. 
• Skyroot was the first startup to sign a memorandum of understanding with ISRO for launching its rockets. 
• Its launch vehicles have been crafted specially for the small satellite market, and are named ‘Vikram’ as a tribute to Vikram Sarabhai, founder of the Indian space programme. 
• They come in three forms, Vikram I, II, and III.
• Skyroot claims a Vikam rocket can be assembled and launched within 24 hours from any launch site, and has the “lowest cost in the payload segment”.
• Based in Hyderabad, Skyroot builds state-of-the-art space launch vehicles for launching commercial satellites to space. 
• It aims to disrupt entry barriers to cost-efficient satellite launch services and space-flight by advancing its mission to make spaceflights affordable, reliable and regular for all.
• Although Skyroot will be the first private company to launch its rocket, others are not far behind. 
• Take for example Agnikul Cosmos, whose semi-cryogenic Agnilet engine was test- fired recently at ISRO’s vertical testing facility at Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS), Thiruvananthapuram. 
• ISRO’s Small Satellite Launch Vehicles (SSLV) are also likely to be manufactured and operated by private players soon.

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