Skyroot Aerospace’s Vikram-1 rocket successfully lifted off on July 18 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in India, reaching orbit on its inaugural flight.

The launch was delayed 35 minutes due to a technical issue identified at the T‑minus 5‑minute mark, but the three solid‑fuel stages performed as expected after liftoff. The vehicle deployed a liquid‑propellant kick stage and an orbit adjustment module that fired for about six minutes, and the upper stage attained a planned altitude of 450 kilometers in low Earth orbit approximately 15 minutes after launch.

The rocket carried two cubesats, one built by Skyroot and another by the Indian startup Grahaa Space, as well as hosted payloads from Dcubed and Cosmoserve Space. In a prelaunch statement, co‑founder and CEO Pawan Kumar Chandna said the company had completed extensive ground testing and was eager to assess the rocket’s performance in flight. After achieving orbit, Chandna said the flight was “absolutely no words” and noted that the successful first attempt was unprecedented for a private Indian launch vehicle.

Vikram-1 is designed to place up to 350 kilograms into low Earth orbit, with an upgraded Vikram‑1U version planned to increase payload capacity to 550 kilograms. Skyroot has secured $60 million to scale production of the Vikram‑1 and to develop the larger Vikram‑2 vehicle. The company has indicated it may conduct up to two additional Vikram‑1 test flights this year.

The successful flight represents a milestone for India’s commercial space sector, which has benefited from government reforms that facilitate private use of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre and support from the Indian Space Research Organisation and the commercial promotion agency IN‑SPACe. Skyroot plans further test flights before pursuing commercial operations.