Vikram-S: India’s first private launch vehicle all set for maiden flight

Source: The post is based on the article “India’s first private launch vehicle all set for maiden flight” published in The Hindu on 9th November 2022.

What is the News?

Hyderabad-based space firm Skyroot Aerospace is going to launch Vikram-S, India’s first privately manufactured rocket. It is being launched as part of Skyroot Aerospace’s first mission “Prarambh”.

What is Vikram-S?

Vikram-S is India’s first privately manufactured rocket being developed by Skyroot Aerospace, a Hyderabad-based startup in the aerospace business. 

Purpose: It is a single-stage sub-orbital launch vehicle that will carry three client payloads and assist test and verifying most of the technology in the Vikram family of space launch vehicles.

– Note: Sub-orbital flight are those vehicles which are travelling slower than the orbital velocity – meaning it is fast enough to reach outer space but not fast enough to stay in an orbit around the Earth.

Features: Skyroot is designing three Vikram rockets that will use various solid and cryogenic fuels to carry between 290 kg and 560 kg payloads to sun-synchronous polar orbits. 

What are the other initiatives taken by private players in the space sector?

Rocket manufacturing startup, Agnikul Cosmos has tested its semi-cryogenic Agnilet engine for 15 seconds at ISRO’s vertical testing facility at Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS), Thiruvananthapuram. 

ISRO’s Small Satellite Launch Vehicles(SSLV) are also likely to be manufactured and operated by private players soon.