Skyroot Aerospace‘s Vikram-1 rocket is all set to carry a handwritten postcard from Prime Minister Narendra Modi bearing the words “Vande Mataram” when it lifts off from Sriharikota on July 18, adding a symbolic national dimension to the Indian private space sector‘s first attempt at an orbital launch from the country.

The postcard will be carried aboard Mission Aagaman, Skyroot’s maiden orbital mission and a key test of the capabilities of India’s privately developed launch vehicles. The mission is expected to mark the first attempt by a privately built Indian rocket to reach orbit from Indian soil.

PM Modi’s postcard to fly alongside messages from space pioneers

The Prime Minister’s handwritten message will be part of a collection of postcards contributed by members of the Skyroot team, investors, policymakers, scientists and supporters from across the world. The collection is intended to represent the people and institutions that have contributed to the growth of India’s space programme and its emerging commercial space ecosystem.

The Vikram-1 Test Flight-1 will also carry handwritten postcards from current and former chairpersons of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), as well as Indian astronauts. According to Skyroot, the messages are intended to connect India’s decades-long public-sector space journey with the new generation of private space companies.

“Mission Aagaman is a celebration carried by many hands and shared by millions,” Skyroot said while announcing the symbolic payload.

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Vikram-1 to carry multiple technology demonstration payloads

Along with the postcards, the rocket will carry several technology demonstration payloads from organisations including Grahaa Space, Cosmoserve and DCubed, besides Skyroot’s own SCOPE payload. The mission will also carry “Cosmic Bloom,” an artwork created by Cosmos Diamonds, as well as a micro-art payload.

The mission’s name, Aagaman, meaning “arrival,” highlights the company’s ambition to mark the arrival of India’s private space industry as a significant player in the country’s expanding space ecosystem.

From Vikram-S to Vikram-1: Skyroot’s next major step

The launch will be Skyroot’s second major mission following the successful Vikram-S suborbital flight in November 2022. That mission made Skyroot the first Indian private space company to launch a privately developed rocket into suborbital space.

The upcoming Vikram-1 mission represents a larger technological challenge, with the company now seeking to demonstrate its ability to place payloads into orbit.

What are the capabilities of Vikram-1?

Standing nearly seven storeys tall, Vikram-1 has been designed to carry payloads weighing up to 350 kg into Low Earth Orbit. The launch vehicle features an all-carbon composite structure and propulsion systems developed in-house, including 3D-printed rocket engines and high-thrust solid rocket motors.

The upcoming mission is expected to serve as a critical demonstration of Skyroot’s orbital launch capabilities.

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A milestone for India’s private space industry

A successful flight would mark an important milestone in India’s efforts to build a competitive commercial space sector, with private companies increasingly participating in launch vehicles, satellites and space-based services. For Skyroot, the postcards aboard Vikram-1 are more than commemorative items. They symbolise the convergence of India’s public and private space sectors at a crucial stage in the country’s commercial space ambitions.