India’s first privately made rocket launched
SRIHARIKOTA (ANDHRA PRADESH): India on Friday successfully launched its first privately made rocket, developed by a four year-old startup, marking the entry of the private sector into the country’s space activities which is currently dominated by the state-run behemoth ISRO.
The rocket, Vikram-S launched three payloads in about 500 km low inclination orbit. It later safely splashed into the sea, as part of the mission.
Skyroot Aerospace-designed Vikram-S, named in a befitting tribute to the father of the country’s space programme Vikram Sarabhai, tasted success in its maiden mission. In the process, the firm became the first privately held company in India after the space sector was opened for the private players by the Centre in 2020.
“I am happy to announce the successful completion of Mission Prarambh, The Beginning, by Skyroot aerospace,” a smiling Pawan Goenka, chairman of the country’s space regulator, Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (INSPACe), said from ISRO’s Mission Control Center here.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the launch as “historic”.“A historic moment for India as the rocket Vikram-S, developed by Skyroot Aerospace, took off from Sriharikota today! It is an important milestone in the journey of India’s private space industry. Congrats to @isro & @INSPACeIND for enabling this feat,” Modi tweeted.
The rocket achieved an altitude of 89.5 km and a range of 121.2 km, “exactly what was planned by Skyroot Aerospace,” Goenka said. It “worked as planned” and Skyroot Aerospace has demonstrated various capability of sub-systems that will go into the orbital launch vehicle, he added.
The vehicle integrated into the launcher soared after lifting off at the prefixed 11.30 am from the sounding rocket complex at the Indian Space Research Organisation’s Satish Dhawan Space Centre, here, about 115 km from Chennai.The mission unveiled by ISRO chairman S Somanath had three payloads with two belonging to domestic customers and one from a foreign client.
The 6-metre tall rocket is one of the world’s first few all-composite ones that has 3-D printed solid thrusters for spin stability of the launch vehicle.