Skyroot Aerospace’s Vikram-1 rocket reached orbit on its first launch, becoming India’s first privately developed orbital launch vehicle to achieve orbit on its maiden flight. The launch took place at 1:35 am EDT (06:35 UTC) on Saturday from the Satish Dhawan Space Center on Sriharikota Island, India.

The mission followed a half‑hour delay to resolve a last‑minute technical issue, after which the solid‑fuel first stage ignited and the rocket lifted off the pad. Vikram-1 is 72 feet (22 m) tall and can place up to 350 kg into low‑Earth orbit, a capability comparable to Rocket Lab’s Electron launcher.

The flight sequence included three solid‑fuel stages followed by a liquid‑fuel fourth stage that placed the vehicle into an orbit of about 280 miles (450 km) altitude with a 60‑degree inclination. US military tracking confirmed orbital insertion. A brief anomaly occurred during third‑stage separation, but the fourth stage completed its burn.

“I did not expect to reach orbit on the first attempt,” said Pawan Kumar Chandana, Skyroot’s cofounder and CEO, in remarks to his team. “The mission achieved its objectives.” Chandana also said the launch demonstrated the feasibility of a fully Indian‑designed and built rocket. Pawan Goenka, chairman of IN‑SPACe, said the mission met its primary goal of liftoff and tower clearance and successfully deployed the intended payloads. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said it provided technical support, including solid‑rocket motor facilities and launch pad access. Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the team, stating that the achievement reflects growing private sector participation and will inspire further innovation.

Skyroot plans a second Vikram-1 launch before the end of the year and is developing the Vikram-1U and Vikram-2 variants to increase payload capacity and enable cryogenic upper stages. The company has raised about $160 million, valuing it at $1.1 billion, and employs more than 1,000 staff, most of whom are under 30 years old.