Skyroot Aerospace successfully launched Vikram-1, India’s first privately developed orbital rocket, from Sriharikota on Saturday. This launch marks a significant milestone for India’s space sector and its growing commercial launch capabilities. The Vikram-1 carried customer payloads and experiments, achieving a 450-kilometer orbit approximately 15 minutes after liftoff. India is now the third country to achieve orbital launch through private enterprise. The mission, “Mission Aagaman”, primarily served as a test flight to validate the rocket’s key systems for future commercial operations. Founded in 2018, Skyroot recently reached a $1 billion valuation and is part of a new wave of Indian space startups. This launch intensifies competition in the small satellite launch market, challenging established companies like SpaceX, and reflects increasing global support for domestic launch capabilities.