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Rocket Report: Indian startup nears first launch; SpaceX's millenary milestone NASA awarded Rocket Lab deals for three dedicated launches using the company's Electron rocket.

Space startup to launch India's first private orbital rocket July 2, 2026 Space startup to launch India's first private orbital rocket edited by Andrew Zinin Editors' notes This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: fact-checked reputable news agency proofread The GIST Add as preferred source Credit: Pixabay from Pexels Indian startup Skyroot Aerospace said Thursday it would hold the maiden test flight of the country's first privately developed orbital-class rocket in the coming weeks. The Vikram-1 rocket, designed to carry small satellites into low-Earth orbit, will lift off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota between July 12 and Aug. 4, the company said. "The countdown to history has begun," Skyroot co-founder and chief executive Pawan Kumar Chandana said in a social media post. "What once was a bold dream now stands tall on the launch pad. Vikram-1. India's first private orbital rocket." The rocket, about as tall as a seven-story building, is capable of carrying payloads weighing up to 300 kilograms (661 pounds). …

Gaganyaan: An In-Depth Look at the First Manned Indian Space … 18 October 2025 Share: Credit: Orbital Today Not every nation can proudly claim, “Our people have been in space”. India is one of them. Who was the first person from India to go to space? Every Indian knows this name —Rakesh Sharma. His flight on the Soviet Soyuz T-11 in 1984 became a national holiday. When the Prime Minister Indira Gandhi asked Sharma during a teleconference what India looked like from above, he replied with an old patriotic verse without hesitation: “Best in the world”. But after this triumph, there was a long period of lull in India’s manned space program. Why did India stop after touching the stars? The answer is both simple and complicated: it’s one thing to send a man into space on someone else’s ship, and quite another to build your own bridge to orbit from scratch. India’s Gaganyaan project is intended to become just such a bridge. Related:India & Seychelles Expand Cooperation in Defence, Digital Technology and Space This ambitious Indian space mission isn’t just a desire to return to the big game. This is the result of decades of dedicated work in space exploration, from the launch of th…

Mission Drishti Launch: All You Need to Know About India's Largest ... India reaches a major milestone in space today, May 3, 2026, as the Mission Drishti satellite launches into orbit. Built by the Bengaluru startup GalaxEye Space, this 190-kg craft is the largest satellite ever made by a private Indian firm. It is set to lift off aboard a SpaceX rocket, marking a new era for the country’s privatespace sector. What makes Mission Drishti different is its unique OptoSAR technology. Most satellites carry only one type of camera. Some use regular lenses that work like a phone but fail at night or in cloudy weather. Others use radar to see through clouds, but the images often look grainy.GalaxEyehas combined both tools onto one platform. This allows the satellite to see through thick monsoons and total darkness while still providing clear, colorful pictures. By using both radar and regular cameras at the same time, the satellite provides three times more information than older models. It can look at the health of crops or find hidden structures on the ground with great detail. This constant visibility is vital for the Indian Army and disaster teams who need to see what is happening …

Hyderabad's Skyroot Unveils Vikram-1: India's First Private Orbital ... Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually inaugurated Skyroot Aerospace’s Infinity campus in Hyderabad and unveiled Vikram-1, India’s first private orbital rocket. The rocket is designed to launch satellites into low Earth orbit (LEO), marking a major milestone in India’s private space sector and commercial space capabilities. ​Vikram-1 is entirely designed and manufactured in India by Skyroot Aerospace, showcasing the country’s growing expertise in rocket engineering, propulsion systems, composite materials, avionics, and satellite launch integration. This achievement reinforces India’s ability to independently develop complex orbital launch vehicles. The rocket is built to enable rapid, flexible, and cost-efficient satellite launches, offering domestic and international customers an opportunity for on-demand deployment of satellites into LEO. This makes Vikram-1 a crucial step in making India a competitive player in the global commercial space market. The newly inaugurated Infinity campus, spread over 2 lakh square feet in Hyderabad, is capable of designing, developing, integrating, and testing multiple laun…

Rocket Report: Indian startup nears first launch; SpaceX's millenary ... Key Points: NASA’s Artemis II mission was the only one of 20 highly anticipated 2026 space events to occur by midyear, with many others now delayed to 2027 or later, including the Roman Space Telescope launch which remains on schedule. Katalyst Space Technologies successfully launched the Link servicing satellite on the final Pegasus XL rocket flight to reboost NASA’s aging Swift astronomy satellite, aiming to extend its mission despite Swift not being designed for in-orbit servicing. India’s Skyroot Aerospace plans its first commercial orbital launch of the Vikram-1 rocket between July 12 and August 4, marking a milestone for private Indian space ventures with a vehicle capable of carrying nearly 500 kg to low Earth orbit. NASA selected Rocket Lab for three launches in 2027, including two for the PolSIR ice-cloud radiometer satellites and one for the TSIS-2 solar irradiance sensor, highlighting continued collaboration with smaller launch providers. Blue Origin is actively restoring its launch pad after the May New Glenn rocket explosion, with plans to return to flight by year-end using a new crane-based meth…

India's largest private satellite 'Drishti' lifts off, marks global ... Synopsis Spacetech startup GalaxEye successfully launched its first earth observation satellite, Mission Drishti, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9. This 190-kg satellite, developed over five years, combines electro-optical and SAR sensors for all-weather, day and night imaging, aiming to deliver valuable data to clients globally. Listen to this article in summarized format Listen Bengaluru-based Space-tech startup GalaxEye on Sunday successfully launched Mission Drishti , the world’s first satellite to combine optical and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging on a single platform, marking a milestone for India’s private space sector and its ambitions in earth observation and geospatial intelligence. The 190-kg satellite, launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg, California, is the largest privately built satellite in India and enables all-weather, day-and-night imaging by fusing electro-optical and radar data streams. GalaxEye chief executive Suyash Singh, speaking to ET from California, said the company is already seeing strong global interest in the differentiated datasets enabled by its OptoSAR pay…

Indian Startup Nears First Orbital Launch as SpaceX Hits Millenary ... Aerospace Developments Indian Startup Nears First Orbital Launch as SpaceX Hits Millenary Milestone Tobias Renner · 6 min read · 4 July 2026 Share Article Send this story to your network or copy the direct link. X X f Facebook in LinkedIn Copy link Skyroot Aerospace opens a July window for Vikram-1, India's first private orbital rocket, while SpaceX approaches its 1,000th Falcon launch, a week that frames two very different launch economies. India's Private Launch Pad Finally Gets an Orbital Visitor For decades, reaching orbit from Indian soil meant one customer: the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). That monopoly is about to crack. On July 2, 2026, Hyderabad-based Skyroot Aerospace announced a launch window between July 12 and August 4 for Mission Aagaman, the maiden orbital flight of Vikram-1. The country's first privately developed orbital-class rocket, as reported by the Financial Express . The phrase indian startup orbital launch 2026 is no longer a pitch-deck promise; it's a dated calendar entry on a real range schedule. The timing lands in the same news cycle as another launch-world benchmark: S…

Vikram-1, India's first private orbital rocket to launch this ... Skyroot Aerospace is preparing to launch later this month the Vikram-1, India’s first privately built orbital rocket, marking the moment the country’s private space industry attempts to cross a threshold it has never crossed before. The seven-storey, multi-stage launch vehicle is designed to carry small satellites weighing up to 350kg to Low Earth Orbit, with its maiden mission targeting an altitude of 450km at a 60-degree orbital inclination. The rocket is built with an all-carbon composite structure and powered by in-house propulsion systems, including 3D-printed engines and high-thrust solid-fuel boosters. The technology is indigenously developed, Pawan Kumar Chandana, co-founder and CEO of Skyroot, told HT from Sriharikota, where he is currently stationed. “It is 100% designed in India, 100% manufactured in India. We have built it from scratch. That means hundreds of systems have to be developed and tested. Everything has to work together to a level where right now we’re able to stack it up on the launch pad, and ready to go off and shoot it,” he said. “Building a rocket is the toughest feat in engineering, an…

Diamond jewellery, microart cast in shape of 18K gold rocket among payloads to be launched by Vikram-1 On July 6, Skyroot Aerospace announced that India’s first privately developed orbital-class rocket will be carrying six payloads

India's GalaxEye launches world's first OptoSAR satellite: What is it ... In a major boost for India’s private space sector, Bengaluru-based startup GalaxEye has successfully placed its innovative satellite, Mission Drishti, into orbit. Launched on May 3, 2026,aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from California, Drishti is the world’s first OptoSAR satellite. Developed by a team of IIT Madras alumni in just a few years, this 190 kg satellite is also India’s largest privately built Earth observation craft, and promises to deliver clearer, more reliable views of our planet, no matter the weather or whether it's day or night. Liftoff!pic.twitter.com/HmS624ScKO— SpaceX (@SpaceX)May 3, 2026 Traditional satellites usually rely on one of two main ways to photograph Earth from space. Optical cameras work like regular digital cameras that capture colours, textures, and details in clear, easy-to-understand pictures. However, they fail when it is cloudy, smoky, or dark at night. On the other hand, Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellites send out radar signals that bounce back from the ground. These SAR technology satellites can see through clouds, rain, and darkness, working day and ni…

Vikram-1 launch will be great boost for India’s private space sector: Skyroot Aerospace co-founder & CEO Pawan Kumar Chandana The Vikram-1 launch vehicle is India’s first privately developed orbital-class rocket designed to carry small satellites weighing up to 350 kg to Low Earth Orbit

India's first private orbital rocket Vikram 1 eyes 'Mission Aagaman ... Vikram 1, India’s first private orbital rocket is ready for its first test flight under ‘Mission Aagaman’. It is scheduled for launch between July 12- August 4, 2026 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota. “The vehicle is now fully stacked at India’s historic First Launch Pad (FLP)”, according to a post by Skyroot Aerospace on X. The space tech firm also thankedISROand INSPACe for their support in this mission, as the countdown to this new phase in India’s space journey begins. 🚀 Announcing Vikram-1 Test Flight-1: Mission Aagaman, India’s first private orbital rocket launch. 📍 Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota🛰️ 450 km, 60 degree inclination, Low Earth Orbit📅 Launch Window: July 12 – August 4, 2026 Vehicle is now fully stacked at India’s…pic.twitter.com/mqqJnO5RoI — Skyroot Aerospace (@SkyrootA)July 2, 2026 Developed for carrying smaller satellites, Vikram 1 has an all-carbon composite structure with solid fuel boosters, and a 3D printed liquid engine. Manufactured entirely in India, it can carry up to 350kg till low Earth orbit, and up to 260 kg to the sun-synchronous orbit (SSO). An SSO is …