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.
This story is from the November 19, 2022 edition of The Straits Times.
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This story is from the November 19, 2022 edition of The Straits Times.
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