Why in news?
Vikram-I is India's first privately developed orbital-class launch vehicle, built by Skyroot Aerospace and unveiled by PM Modi on November 27, 2025, at the company's Infinity Campus in Hyderabad.
Key Specifications
- Height: 20 meters (7-storey building equivalent); diameter: 1.7 meters.
- Thrust: 1,200 kN from all-carbon composite structure and 3D-printed engines for lightweight efficiency.
- Stages: Four-stage design—first three solid-fueled (Kalam-1200, Kalam-250, Kalam-100); fourth hypergolic liquid with Raman engines (3.4 kN each).
- Payload: Up to 350 kg to low Earth orbit (LEO), 260-290 kg to sun-synchronous orbit (SSO), or 480 kg to 500 km LEO at 45° inclination.
Significance
- Marks a major step in India’s private space sector growth, reducing dependence on government-only launches.
- Supports the growing global small-satellite market with cost-effective and flexible launch services.
- Enhances India’s competitiveness in the international space launch market.
- Demonstrates successful collaboration between private industry and Indian space agencies.
- Provides new technology innovations like 3D printing for rocket engines, showing cutting-edge aerospace capability in India.
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