The launch of Vikram-1, India’s first privately developed orbital-class rocket, which was scheduled to lift off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota on July 18 at 11.30 am, was put on hold temporarily. A new schedule was announced, and the rocket will be launched at 12.05 PM.
Developed by Skyroot, a private aerospace company, Vikram-1 has been named after India’s pioneering space scientist Vikram Sarabhai.This will be the first time an orbital-class rocket, fully designed and developed by a private player, will attempt to fly from Indian soil.The Mission Aagaman launch marks the arrival of India’s private sector in the global launch business.
Vikram-1 is a multi-stage orbital launch vehicle built with an all-carbon-composite structure.
It is powered by in-house developed propulsion systems, including 3D-printed engines and high-thrust solid-fuel rocket boosters, and is designed to carry small satellites weighing up to 350 kg to Low Earth Orbit.
The test flight is meant to see how the technology developed by Skyroot Aerospace performs in real-world conditions.
The in-flight data gathered from this mission will be used by the company to learn, improve, and build further. | Video Credit: Businessline
The rocket was developed by Skyroot Aerospace. Five minutes before lift-off, Skyroot Aerospace announced that there is a ‘planned hold’.
Around 10 minutes before the scheduled launch, the Vikram-1 had begun its Automated Launch Sequence. From here, the onboard software runs the countdown — monitoring every system and clearing each checkpoint on its own, all the way to ignition. However, five minutes before the lift off, the launch was put on hold.
Later, the Automated Launch Sequence (ALS) was restarted, and the lift-off was re-scheduled at 12.05 p.m.
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