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India successfully launched three satellites into orbit on a rocket developed entirely by a four-year-old startup, ushering in the private sector into the country’s space activities, which are currently dominated by the state-run behemoth ISRO.
The Vikram-S, designed by Skyroot Aerospace and named after the country’s space programme’s father, Vikram Sarabhai, achieved success in its first mission. Skyroot Aerospace became India’s first privately held company after the Centre opened the space sector to private players 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.
The rocket achieved an altitude of 89.5 km and a range of 121.2 km, “exactly what was planned by Skyroot Aerospace,” he 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 took off at 11.30 a.m. from the sounding rocket complex at the Indian Space Research Organization’s Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) here, about 115 kilometers from Chennai.
ISRO Chairman S Somanath unveiled the Mission, which includes three payloads, two from domestic customers and one from a foreign client.
“This is a new beginning for the Indian private sector entering aerospace and a historic moment for all of us,” Goenka said.
The 6-meter-tall launch vehicle is one of the world’s first all-composite rockets with 3-D printed solid thrusters for spin stability.
The payloads were launched into a 500 km low inclination orbit by Vikram-S. As part of the mission, the rocket safely splashed into the sea.
Skyroot Aerospace co-founder Pawan Chandana stated that all mission objectives had been met.
The three payloads aboard the rocket are from Chennai-based SpaceKidz, Andhra Pradesh-based N-SpaceTech, and Armenia-based BazoomQ Space Research Lab.
“This Prarambh mission as the name signifies is the beginning of a new era in the Indian space ecosystem. Team Skyroot dedicates this successful mission to Dr Vikram Sarabhai, who boldly started the Indian space programme in the 1960s, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for unlocking the space sector to private players,” Chandana, also the Mission Director for Friday’s launch, said.
“This Prarambh mission symbolises not only India’s first private rocket launch, it also symbolises the potential of new India,” he added.
Union Minister Jitendra Singh, who witnessed the launch today accompanied, congratulated the nation and said it it is indeed a new beginning and a new dawn.
“Shall I say very appropriately new Prarambh in the journey of India’s space programme and many thanks to Prime Minister Narendra Modi who has made this possible by opening space sector to private participation,” Singh, who holds the Department of Space portfolio among others, said.
Earlier, in a departure from routine, Friday’s mission was launched from the complex where ISRO used sounding rockets.
SDSC has two launch complexes, each capable of providing complete support for vehicle assembly, check out, and launch operations for any type of mission — LEO, GEO. PSLVs and GSLVs are launched from this location.
The mission on Friday is considered a significant milestone for Skyroot Aerospace because it will help test and validate the majority of the technologies in the Vikram series of orbital class space launch vehicles, including many sub-systems and technologies that will be tested before and after the launch.
Students from India, the United States, Singapore, and Indonesia collaborated to develop ‘Fun-Sat,’ a 2.5 kg payload owned by Chennai-based aerospace startup Spacekidz. The Vikram II and Vikram III series comprise the 545 kg Vikram launch vehicle.
According to Skyroot Aerospace, the launch vehicle’s technology architecture provides unique capabilities such as multi-orbit insertion and interplanetary missions, as well as customized, dedicated, and ride share options that cover a wide range of small satellite customer needs.
The rockets, according to the company, can be assembled and launched within 24 hours from any launch site.
Source:IE
