Today, India’s first privately developed rocket, Vikram-S, successfully lifted off from the Sriharikota spaceport, marking the private sector’s foray into the country’s decades-old ISRO-dominated space industry.

It is developed by Hyderabad-based four-year-old startup Skyroot Aerospace, the rocket was launched with ISRO and IN-SPACe (India’s National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre).

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated ISRO and IN-SPACe, calling the rocket launch a “significant milestone” in developing India’s private space industry.

The rocket carried three payloads built by Andhra Pradesh-based N Space Tech India, Chennai-based startup Space Kids and Armenia-based BazoomQ Space Research Lab.

Vikram-S soared to an altitude of 89.5 kilometres after launch and met all parameters; Skyroot Aerospace said it attached a YouTube link to the flight.

Pawan Kumar Chandana, Co-Founder of Skyroot Aerospace, said, “Today we made history by launching India’s first private rocket. It symbolises a new India and the beginning of a better future.”

Explaining that satellite launches will play a key role in the future, another co-founder, Bharath Daka, added, “The first launch proves our technology. Value creation is key in this space. We will be able to prove our capabilities to investors.”

Developed in a record two years by a team of 200 engineers, Vikram-S is powered by solid fuel propulsion, cutting-edge avionics and a carbon fibre core structure.

According to Skyroot Aerospace, the rocket launch will help test and validate most of the technologies of the Vikram family of orbital-class space launch vehicles, including many subsystems and technologies that will be tested during the pre-launch and post-launch phases.

Weighing 545 kg, 6 meters long and 0.375 meters in diameter, Vikram-S is one of the most affordable rockets of its kind in the world.

IN-SPACe chairman Dr Pawan Goenka told the media that at least 150 startups had shown interest in the space sector. “150 startups have submitted applications to go to space. So far, we have approved five,” he added.