Skyroot Vikram-1 Launch LIVE: ‘Hello space, we have arrived!’ Vikram-1’s Test Flight-1 completes it’s mission

On the launch of India's first privately developed orbital-class rocket, Vikram-1, by Skyroot Aerospace, Naga Bharath Daka, COO and Co-founder of Skyroot Aerospace, says, "... This is a significant milestone... India has become the third country with a private orbital launch capability..."

Congratulations to Skyroot Aerospace on the successful launch of Vikram-1. Fantastic!
But I must point out that Kamal Haasan launched Vikram 1 as far back as 1986. And Vikram 2 in 2022. pic.twitter.com/zFkMYBWK6Q

— Ramesh Srivats (@rameshsrivats) July 18, 2026

Dr Pawan K Goenka, Chairman of IN-SPACe, Department of Space, said, "I am privileged to formally announce that the first ever Indian private sector launch has been successfully completed. Not only did Vikram-1 meet its mission objective, which was simply to clear the tower, it went all the way up to 453 kilometer orbit, successfully completed all the tasks, and something that is way beyond expectation."

Vikram-1 Test Flight-1 has reached orbit. India's first privately developed orbital rocket has completed its final burn and injected its payloads into a ~450 km orbit, making India the third country in the world with private orbital launch capability.

India's first private orbital rocket finally begins its historic maiden test flight from Andhra Pradesh's Sriharikota on July 18 (Saturday).

Vikram-1 is a seven-storey-tall, multi-stage orbital launch vehicle built with an all-carbon composite structure and powered by in-house developed propulsion systems, including 3D-printed engines and high-thrust solid-fuel rocket boosters.

LIVE TELECAST LINK: https://www.youtube.com/live/-lLd1cI7v0U

https://t.co/3Cjjnu9BVc

— Skyroot Aerospace (@SkyrootA) July 18, 2026

Pawan Kumar Chandana, co-founder and CEO of Skyroot Aerospace, said, "We have done everything that could be done to test Vikram-1 on ground. On 18 July, we are eager to see how Vikram-1 performs in a real flight environment for the first time." "This is our first test flight, and we will be getting valuable data from it. This will be foundational to Skyroot's aspirations of establishing launch cadence. We are excited to see this through," he added.

Nara Lokesh said he was heading to Sriharikota with his son Devaansh for what he described as a memorable father-son day, framing the occasion as a celebration of India’s space spirit and the ambition of the country’s new generation of builders. He praised Skyroot Aerospace as a story of a handful of Indian entrepreneurs who dared to believe that a private Indian company could build rockets, compete globally and help shape the future of space, adding that the courage to dream big and attempt the extraordinary is what truly moves a nation forward. Lokesh said that whatever the outcome of today’s launch, the effort itself reflects the spirit of innovation, determination and boldness that defines India’s future, and he closed by saluting the builders, innovators and dreamers with an enthusiastic “Let’s go, India!”

Pawan Kumar Chandan, CEO and Founder of Skyroot Aerospace, said, "Today, we are here at the Spaceport of India, Sriharikota, where we are going to launch India's first private orbital rocket. The first time in India that a private company has developed an orbital rocket and taken it to the launch site and is going to take off soon. And it's a proud moment for India...very few companies in the world have actually launched a rocket to orbit, and very few companies in the world are operating regular orbital rockets. This is a very unique capability which the world needs. And as an Indian company, we are very proud that we are going to launch our first test flight of Vikram-1 soon."

Skyroot Aerospace Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer Naga Bharath Daka said the company was founded eight years ago with the objective of building affordable and reliable launch services from India for global satellite operators. "We started Skyroot around eight years ago with an aim to build affordable, reliable rockets from India to the world and provide affordable, reliable and on-demand launch access solutions for satellite operators around the world. All our effort and the team's effort is culminating today in this historic milestone," he said. Describing Vikram-1, Daka said it is a three-stage orbital-class rocket equipped with an orbital adjustment module capable of deploying multiple satellites into orbit. "It is a three-stage rocket with a small orbital adjustment module on the top. It has three stages of solid propulsion and one orbital adjustment module that can put multiple satellites in orbit around the Earth. It is one of the first all-carbon fibre rockets in India and is extremely efficient and light," he said.He added that the vehicle incorporates several technologies being used for the first time in India."