India Successfully Launches Its First Private Orbital Rocket

[Financial News Hanoi, Vietnam=Kim Joon-seok correspondent] India has successfully launched an orbital rocket developed by a private company for the first time, marking a step toward becoming a key player rather than a peripheral one in the global space economy.
Until now, India had expanded its presence in the global space market through government-led national projects. In 2017, it set a world record by launching 104 satellites at once with a single rocket. Six years later, in 2023, it became the fourth country in the world to reach the lunar surface after the successful landing of Chandrayaan 3 near the Moon's south pole.
According to local media on the 19th, Vikram-1, a three-stage orbital rocket developed by Indian private space startup Skyroot Aerospace, was successfully launched the previous day from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. Through this launch, Vikram-1 placed customers' payloads into low Earth orbit (LEO) at an altitude of 450 kilometers. With this achievement, India became the third country in the world to secure orbital launch capability through a private company.
Vikram-1, which is 22 meters long, can carry payloads of up to 350 kilograms. It is also equipped with a robotic arm capable of collecting space debris. In addition to experimental equipment, the first test launch carried lab-grown diamonds and an 18K miniature gold figurine commemorating India's national space program.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi congratulated the team, saying the success would "inspire countless young people to dream bigger and innovate without fear." Skyroot, the developer, said the flight verified the performance of the rocket's propulsion, avionics, telemetry, guidance, and control systems.
Founded in 2018, Skyroot has drawn global investor attention as a leading startup since India's space sector was deregulated. Earlier this year, it also became the first Indian space company to surpass a valuation of $1 billion, earning unicorn company status. On its official X account, the company expressed its excitement, saying, "Hello space, we're here!"
The success builds on and significantly improves the suborbital Vikram-S mission in 2022, which failed to place a payload into orbit. Skyroot plans to carry out additional test launches before beginning regular commercial missions.