Tomorrow Vikram mission will herald new age in Indian space sector : In-Space

Chennai, Nov 17 : Tomorrow ‘s launch of Vikram-S, India’s

five private rocket from the spaceport of Sriharikota, will herald

a new age in India’s space sector, the Indian National Space

Promotion and Authorization Center (IN-SPACe), Department

of Space (DOS), said.

IN-SPACe has authorized the first private sector launch of a

Launch Vehicle by Skyroot Aerospace – a Hyderabad based

space start-

up. This will enable the first-ever launch of a privately designed

and built rocket from India. The mission carries three customer

payloads and the launch is scheduled at 1130 hrs tomorrow.

IN-SPACe has been operating as a single-window, autonomous

nodal agency of DOS to boost private space sector economy in

India.

In their continued efforts to give India’s space sector a new and

dynamic dimension, IN-SPACe’s authorization of Skyroot’s launch

vehicle initiates a new chapter in India’s space domain.

Skyroot Aerospace is a space startup founded by Pawan Kumar

Chandana and Naga Bharath Daka in June 2018. It is a two-time

national award-winning space startup, with 200 employees, and

is the largest funded private space start up in India having raised

Rs 526 crore as capital till date.

Skyroot will be launching its maiden rocket under the launch mission

‘PRARAMBH’. The Prarambh mission was unveiled by ISRO Chairman

Dr. S. Somanath in Bangalore on November 7 after the technical launch

clearance from IN-SPACe.

The mission aims to launch Vikram – S (VKS), a sub-orbital rocket from

India’s spaceport the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota. VKS is

a single-stage solid fuelled, sub-orbital rocket which has taken about two

years to develop and has been built using advanced technologies including

carbon composite structures and 3D-printed components.

Expressing delight on this historic milestone, Dr. Pawan K Goenka, Chairman

of IN-SPACe, said, “India’s space sector is going through tremendous changes

thanks to the government’s holistic policies to promote the space sector and to

facilitate involvement by private players. ”

“We’re truly delighted to have authorized Skyroot’s maiden mission, which will

enable India’s first-ever private launch of a launch vehicle. I hope the Vikram-S

rocket marks the start of a new age in India’s private space domain”, he said.

The seamless joint efforts of various ISRO centres including SDSC SHAR,

ISTRAC and VSSC, Skyroot team and IN-SPACe, have enabled the Skyroot

VKS rocket to be launch-ready in a short period of time.’

The Vikram-S rocket flight is a technology demonstration flight to showcase

the capabilities of the company. It carries with it three PCB based payloads

for three customers which are equipped with sensors for the measurement

of acceleration, pressure etc.

This rocket will help validate the technologies that will be used in the subsequent

Vikram-1 orbital vehicle of Skyroot that is planned for launch next year, subject to

technical clearance by IN-SPACe.

This is the fourth authorization issued to NGE (Non-Governmental Entities) for

undertaking space activities in India, by IN-SPACe in six months.

Till date, IN-SPACe has received more than 150 applications from Space NGEs

for Authorization, Facilitation, and Promotion.