Launch of India's first privately produced rocket is scheduled for November 15

Vikram-S, India's first privately developed rocket, is scheduled to launch on November 15 on a suborbital mission carrying three payloads, according to Hyderabad-based space startup Skyroot Aerospace. Skyroot Aerospace will launch its first mission, dubbed "Prarambh" (the beginning), from the Sriharikota launchpad of the Indian Space Research Organization with the payloads of two Indian and one foreign client.

"Heartbeats accelerate. Everyone is looking up towards the sky. The planet is attentive. All signs lead to a launch on November 15, 2022 "According to Skyspace Aerospace on Friday. According to CEO and co-founder of Skyroot Aerospace Pawan Kumar Chandana, the launch is set for 11:30 a.m. On the suborbital flight on board Vikram-S, Spacekidz, an aerospace startup based in Chennai, will launch "Fun-Sat," a 2.5 kg payload created by students from India, the US, Singapore, and Indonesia.

With this mission, Skyroot will launch a rocket into orbit for the first time as a private space business in India, ushering in a new era for the space industry, which was opened up in 2020 to allow for private sector participation. In honour of Vikram Sarabhai, the pioneer of the Indian space programme and a prominent scientist, Skyroot's launch vehicles bear the name "Vikram." Skyroot, a startup with headquarters in Hyderabad, was the first to sign a memorandum of understanding with ISRO for the launch of its rockets.

By advancing its mission to make spaceflights accessible, dependable, and regular for everyone, it seeks to dismantle entry barriers to cost-effective satellite launch services and spaceflight, according to the statement. With its establishment in 2018, Skyroot has made use of cutting-edge composite and 3D printing technology to successfully construct and test India's first privately manufactured cryogenic, hypergolic-liquid, and solid fuel-based rocket engines. In September of this year, Skyroot Aerospace was successful in raising USD 51 million through a Series-B financing round. In July of last year, it had raised USD 11 million in a Series-A capital raise.

(source : PTI)