GIC-funded company launches India's first privately built rocket

Start-up Skyroot's co-founder hails launch as giant leap for India's space industry

- Rohini Mohan

BENGALURU - India's first privately built rocket launched on Friday, heralding a new era for the country's space sector that opened up to private companies in 2020.

Shown live on national broadcaster Doordarshan with excited commentary and a nail-biting countdown, the rocket blasted off at 11.30am from the Indian government-run space centre in the eastern seaside town of Sriharikota.

The rocket flew to an altitude of 81.5km, before splashing down in the Bay of Bengal.

The Vikram-S - named in tribute to the father of India's space programme, physicist Vikram Sarabhai was built by Hyderabad-based start-up Skyroot Aerospace.

The firm's co-founder Pawan Chandana hailed the successful launch as a "small step for a startup and a giant leap for the Indian space industry".

The rocket carried three payloads weighing a total of 80kg, from customers Space Kidz India, N Space Tech India and Armenian education non-profit space lab Bazoomq.

The Vikram series of rockets can launch up to 800kg payloads to an altitude of up to 120km from the earth.