Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh (The Hawk): When private company Skyroot Aerospace successfully launched its Vikram-S rocket on a sub-orbital flight from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota on Friday, India embarked on a new era in the field of space exploration.
The Prarambh mission is significant because it marked the first launch of an Indian launch vehicle that was privately developed and run. On Friday at around 11.30 am, Skyroot made history in front of a crowded gallery audience at the space centre and thousands of viewers around the world online. India allowed private companies to build satellites and rockets after opening the space sector to them in 2020. It was announced that the flight had reached hypersonic speed 80 seconds after takeoff, and it reached its peak altitude of 89.5 km after 155 seconds.
When the 6-meter rocket successfully climbed to an altitude of 50 km, its mission was deemed a success. A typical passenger car travels up to 10 km. "I am pleased to report that mission Prarambh was successfully completed. The rocket rose 89.5 kilometres in the air. Every system performed as expected. Today marks a turning point for the nation. The space sector reforms announced in June 2020 made it possible. Businessman Pawan Goenka, the director of IN-SPACe, the organisation established by the government to serve as a liaison between private space companies and state-owned space agency Indian Space Research Organisation, said that ISRO and IN-SPACe (Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Center) played a significant role in this (ISRO).
"This is a significant accomplishment for the entire Skyroot team and a ground-breaking launch mission for the Indian private sector. Our emotions are nothing short of ecstatic. The company stated in a statement, "Our next focus is developing our flagship Vikram I orbital vehicle, which we would launch next year.
Eighty percent of the technologies that will be used in the Vikram-1 orbital vehicle, scheduled for launch next year, are being tested by the Vikram-S rocket. According to the company, it carries three customer payloads that are intended to measure and validate specific flight parameters and payload integration procedures. The company has conducted a number of testing procedures inside ISRO's test facilities aside from the launch support.
The development of the Vikram-S rocket, a single-stage solid fuel sub-orbital rocket, took about two years. It was constructed utilising cutting-edge technologies, such as 3D-printed parts and carbon composite structures.
"Vikram S is an important project because it represents an important turning point in the development of the Vikram series of orbital class space launch vehicles. The project has involved nearly 100 people, both directly and indirectly, according to the business.
The majority of the technologies in the Vikram series of orbital class space launch vehicles—Vikram I, Vikram II, and Vikram III—will be tested and validated with the aid of the Vikram-S. Throughout the mission's pre-launch and post-launch phases, we will test a wide range of subsystems and technologies. The performance of the company's solid-fueled rocket engine "Kalaam -80" is one of the key areas that it is closely monitoring.
According to Skyroot, it is primarily aiming for international clients and targets both commercial and government clients. Around 4,550 man-made satellites are in Earth's orbit, with 3,790 of them in lower orbit, 139 in medium orbit, 56 in highly elliptical orbit, and 565 in geostationary orbit, according to data from Dewesoft. According to the current roadmap, at least 50,000 additional satellite launches are anticipated over the course of the next 10 years, the majority of which will be for lower orbits, suggesting that Skyroot's launch may be feasible.
With a total of about $68 million raised so far, Skyroot is one of the most financially supported startups in India's space industry. In addition to Skyroot, Chennai-based Agnikul Cosmos also intends to launch its rocket Agnibaan on a full-scale commercial mission by April 2023.
(Inputs from Agencies)