Skyroot Aerospace set to launch Vikram‑1 rocket on Saturday

India’s first space‑technology unicorn, Skyroot Aerospace, announced that its Vikram‑1 launch vehicle is scheduled to lift off on Saturday. The privately funded company, which achieved unicorn status after a recent funding round that valued it at over $1 billion, will conduct the flight from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, marking the first orbital launch attempt by an Indian private firm.

The Vikram‑1, a three‑stage, liquid‑propellant rocket designed to deliver payloads of up to 500 kg to low‑Earth orbit, has completed a series of static‑fire tests and received clearance from India’s space regulator. Successful deployment would demonstrate the viability of commercial launch services in the country and could accelerate the growth of India’s nascent private space sector, which has been encouraged by recent policy reforms aimed at fostering non‑governmental participation in space activities.