India's first private rocket Vikram-S was launched today at 11:30 am from Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota. This single-stage rocket has been made by Indian startup Skyroot Aerospace. This is a kind of demonstration mission in which three payloads were taken together. The rocket covered 89.5 km. Peak altitude was achieved and then splashdown took place in the sea.
India's nodal agency promoting commercial space exploration had approved the launch of the in-space Vikram-S suborbital vehicle. The name of this mission is Start. The company claims that the Vikram series rocket will make satellite launching as easy as booking a cab. Not only this, Vikram series rockets will be the lowest-cost rockets in the payload segment.
three payloads were sent into space
Three payloads from Chennai-based startup SpaceKidz, Andhra Pradesh-based N-Spacetech, and Armenian Bazum-Q Space Research Lab were sent aboard the Vikram-S rocket. SpaceKidz's 2.5 kg payload 'Fun-Sat' has been developed by students from India, the USA, Singapore, and Indonesia.
Pawan Goenka, chairman of space regulator IN-SPACe, said, “This is a giant leap for the private space sector in India. Congratulations to Skyroot for becoming the first Indian company to be authorized to launch a rocket. The rocket achieved a peak altitude of 89.5 in its mission.
8-meter long and 546 kg rocket Vikram S
Vikram S is only an 8-meter tall single-stage spin-stabilized solid propellant rocket. The weight of this rocket is 546 kg and the diameter is 1.24 feet. It has 4 spin thrusters. It is powered by a Kalam 80 propulsion system, which was tested on March 15, 2022, at Solar Industries, Nagpur.
Its payload capacity is to carry 83 kg up to 100 km altitude. Peak Velocity Mach 5 (hypersonic). This rocket is made from composite material. A team of 200 engineers has prepared it in a record time of 2 years. It has been equipped with a 3D-printed engine for spin stability during flight.
Skyroot's business development lead Sirish Pallikonda said the objective of the mission is to set the stage for the launch of Vikram-I with a customer payload. The maiden launch of the Vikram-1 rocket is targeted for the second quarter of 2023 and the startup has customers as well.
Skyroot developing 3 variants of the Vikram rocket
Skyroot is developing three variants of the Vikram rocket. Vikram-I can carry a 480 kg payload in a low inclination orbit. It is also capable of carrying a 290 kg payload in Sun Synchronous Polar Orbit (SSPO).
Whereas Vikram-II is capable of carrying 595 kg cargo to the low earth orbit. It can carry a 400 kg payload to SSPO. Whereas Vikram-III can take 815 kg payload to low earth orbit and 560 kg to SSPO.
Satellite launching will be as easy as booking a cab
Vikram is named after the founder of the Indian Space Program, Dr. Vikram Sarabhai. It is a series of modular space launch vehicles specifically designed for the small satellite market. More than 20,000 small satellites are expected to be launched in the coming decade, and the Vikram series is designed for this market.
Skyroot claims that launching a satellite into space will soon be as easy as booking a cab. It will be the lowest-cost rocket in the payload segment. The company also claims that Vikram I can be assembled and launched from any launch site within 24 hours. Whereas Vikram II and III can be assembled and launched from any launch site within 72 hours.
More than 100 space tech startups in India
The space sector was opened in the year 2020 for the private segment in India. It was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. For this, the Government of India has created a single window nodal agency Space Promotion and Authorization Center IN-SPACe. Although the first startup in India was started in 2012 by a group of young engineers and students, it has gained a lot of momentum since 2020.
According to the Economic Survey of India, the number of startups has increased to 47 in 2021. Now, this number has crossed 100. Talking about some popular startups in India right now, include names like Bellatrix Aerospace, Agnikul, Dhruv, and Astrogate, apart from Skyroot. According to an estimate, the Indian commercial space tech market could be worth more than $77 billion by 2030.
Funding in this sector was set to increase by 198.67% to reach $67.2 million in 2021, up from $22.5 million in 2020.
start of sky root
Pawan Kumar Chandna, who was a scientist at ISRO, was fascinated by rocketry when he was at IIT Kharagpur. Here he was studying mechanical engineering. Chandana joined ISRO after IIT. In a TEDx talk, Chandana says, 'I became crazy about rockets after college. These magnificent machines have the power to escape from the Earth's gravity and go into space. Without them, we would not have had so many things.
Chandana worked in ISRO for 6 years. He was posted at Vikram Sarabhai Space Center in Kerala. He explains, 'I was very happy to understand rockets and how they work. Would have been fascinated by watching rockets being made and launched in ISRO. Here I was a part of the GSLV-Mk-3 project and worked as deputy manager of the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle project.
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