Skyroot’s Vikram-1 reaches orbit on India’s first private launch
Final Frontier

Skyroot’s Vikram-1 reaches orbit on India’s first private launch

Hyderabad startup Skyroot Aerospace placed six payloads into a 450-kilometer orbit on its debut flight, a milestone no comparable rocket has matched on a first try.

Richard Miniter
By
First Published: July 21, 2026, 3:38 PM ET

INDIA — India’s first privately developed orbital rocket reached space on its maiden flight, placing six payloads into a 450-kilometer orbit after lifting off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre on Sriharikota Island at 1:35 a.m. ET (06:35 UTC) on July 18, 2026. Skyroot Aerospace, the Hyderabad startup that built the Vikram-1, declared the mission, named Aagaman, a full success.