Today a new chapter is going to be added in India’s space history. Hyderabad’s Skyroot Aerospace will launch India’s first private orbital rocket Vikram-1 on Saturday (July 18). This launch will take place at 11:30 am from Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. It has been named Mission Arrival. Expressing happiness, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given good wishes calling it a historic new beginning.
Before the launch, PM Modi shared a post on social media in which he said, ‘A historic new beginning for India’s space travel!’. He said, ‘Today at 11:30 am, Skyroot Aerospace will conduct the first orbital launch of India’s first privately developed launch vehicle, ‘Vikram-1’.
‘This reflects the growing capabilities of India’s private space sector’
The PM said that this mission shows the growing capabilities of India’s private space sector. He said that this four-stage rocket has been designed to provide launch service rapidly and as per requirement. He said that this mission shows the talent, determination and spirit of entrepreneurship of our youth.
A historic new frontier for India’s space journey!
At 11:30 AM today, Skyroot Aerospace will undertake the maiden orbital launch of Vikram-1, India’s first privately developed launch vehicle.
This four-stage rocket is designed to provide rapid and on-demand launch services. pic.twitter.com/1qFVTwNOuZ
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 18, 2026
PM congratulated the entire team
Highlighting the importance of this mission, PM Modi said that it shows the impact of reforms in India’s space sector. Congratulating the team, he said, ‘My heartiest congratulations to the entire team of Skyroot Aerospace for the successful launch. May Vikram-1 touch the heights of the sky, create history and inspire the generation of innovators.
PM’s appeal to the countrymen
PM said ‘I urge all Indians, especially our young friends, to watch this historic mission and wish the Skyroot team all the best for success using the hashtag #IndiaWithVikram1’.
Former ISRO Chairman also congratulated
Whereas former ISRO Chairman S. Congratulating Skyroot Aerospace, Somnath described the mission as a milestone for India’s private space industry. In a post on social media, he said, ‘My heartiest congratulations to the Skyroot Aerospace team on the test launch of Mission Arrival with Vikram-1 orbital rocket today.’ He further said, ‘This is more than the first orbital flight of a rocket, it marks the arrival of India’s private rocket manufacturing capability and represents significant progress.
My very best wishes to Team Skyroot Aerospace on the test launch of Mission Aagaman with Vikram-1 orbital rocket today.
This is far more than the maiden orbital flight of a rocket, it marks the arrival of India’s private rocket building capability and reflects the remarkable pic.twitter.com/KIvQpX5mDd
—Dr. S Somanath (@SomanathSpeak) July 18, 2026
This rocket can carry a weight of up to 350 kg
Vikram-1 is the first orbital rocket made entirely of light and strong carbon-composite structure. Hyderabad-based company Skyroot Aerospace has prepared this rocket on the launch pad after many years of testing and preparation. Complete testing of this rocket has been completed. This rocket can carry a weight of up to 350 kg. It is made from carbon composite and has engines made by the company, which also include 3D printed engines.
Many technical payloads like Planet Space, Cosmoserve, DCubed and Skyroot’s own experiments are being sent with this rocket. Along with this, PM Modi’s hand-written Vande Mataram postcard, messages from current and former ISRO chiefs and messages from Indian astronauts are also being sent in this mission.
What the co-founder of Skyroot Aerospace said
Pawan Kumar Chandna, co-founder and CEO of Skyroot Aerospace, said, ‘We have made every possible effort to test Vikram-1 on the ground. On July 18, we look forward to seeing how Vikram-1 performs for the first time in a real flight environment. This is our first test flight and will provide us with very useful data. It will form a strong foundation for our goals of maintaining Skyroot’s launch momentum. We are excited to complete it.
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