India's first private orbital rocket successfully launches

India has achieved a significant milestone by successfully launching its first private-sector orbital rocket. The three-stage, 22-metre Vikram-1 lifted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota and deployed customer payloads into a 450-kilometre low-Earth orbit.

The rocket can carry payloads of up to 350 kilograms and is equipped with robotic arms capable of clearing space debris. Vikram-1 also carried experimental equipment, a lab-grown diamond, and a miniature 18-carat gold sculpture commemorating India's national space programme.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the achievement, saying it will "encourage countless youngsters to dream bigger and innovate fearlessly". The rocket's manufacturer, Skyroot Aerospace, confirmed that the test validated the propulsion, avionics, telemetry, guidance, navigation, and control systems during flight.

Founded in 2018, Skyroot is among a new generation of Indian space startups that have attracted global investor backing following the sector's liberalisation. Earlier this year, it became the first space-sector company in the country to hit a $1 billion valuation.

Vikram-1 improves upon Skyroot's 2022 suborbital Vikram-S mission, which reached space but did not place payloads into orbit. The company plans further test flights before beginning routine commercial missions.

This milestone adds to India's growing private and public space programmes. India previously launched 104 satellites into orbit on a single rocket in 2017, setting a record, and in 2023 became the fourth country to achieve a soft lunar landing.