Skyroot Aerospace, based in Kondapur (Telangana), is prepared to make history by launching a rocket into space for the first time as a private space enterprise in India. The mission known as “Prambh,” which means “the beginning” in Sanskrit, marks the beginning of a new era for startups in the nation’s space tech industry.
1st Mission for Skyroot
ISRO Chairman Dr. S. Somanath unveiled Skyroot’s first space mission in Bengaluru. This came after receiving permission for a technical launch from IN-SPACe, the single-window nodal organization for promoting and regulating space technology players.
Although a launch window between November 12 and 16 has been announced by the authorities, the precise day will be determined by the weather. From the ISRO Satish Dhawan Space Centre spaceport in Sriharikota, off the coast of Andhra Pradesh, the rocket will be launched into orbit.
To encourage private sector engagement in 2020, the space sector was opened up. Skyroot signed an MoU with ISRO in 2021, making it the first company in space technology to share resources and knowledge.
Support from ISRO & IN-SPACe
The CEO and co-founder of Skyroot Aerospace, Pawan Kumar Chandana, thanked ISRO and IN-SPACe for their support and stated that they are proud to announce their ground-breaking mission, “Prarambh,” which is dedicated to the Indian private space sector and has greatly benefited from the reforms that were inspired by the government of India and its vision.
Skyroot’s 200-person engineering team is creating the launch vehicles under the brand name Vikram, honoring Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, who founded the nation’s space program. The Vikram series of rockets, constructed entirely of carbon fiber, are capable of launching payloads as heavy as 800 kg into low-earth orbit (LEO).
The company’s COO & co-founder, Naga Bharath Daka, said that the Vikram-S rocket that is being launched is a single-stage sub-orbital launch vehicle that will help test and validate most of the technologies in our Vikram series of space launch vehicles while carrying three customer payloads.
Investment for Skyroot
India’s first privately produced cryogenic, hypergolic-liquid, and solid fuel rocket engines were successfully constructed and tested by the four-year-old Skyroot. Advanced composite and 3D printing technologies are heavily utilized in R&D and production activities.
In September of this year, Skyroot Aerospace was successful in raising $51 million, or Rs 403 crore, in a Series-B financing transaction. This is by far the largest fundraising round ever in India’s space technology sector, and it is being led by the long-term investment company GIC, which has its headquarters in Singapore.
Presently, as per the figures from the information technology services company Tracxn and Business Today, 53 spacetech startups in India have raised $220 million in total. The leader in the field is Skyroot Aerospace, followed by AgniKul and satellite manufacturer Pixxel.
The launch signals a new era for India’s space industry, which had hitherto been the sole preserve of the Indian Space Research Organisation. It has been the sole responsibility of the Indian space agency to develop, design, and launch rockets and missions into space. A new era will begin with the commencement of the Prarambh mission, with the private sector taking on some of the burdens of the public organization.
