ISRO chief S Somanath at the Skyroot Max-Q facility

The Indian space agency and the private sector is advancing the country's ambitions in space exploration and technology.

Skyroot Aerospace has rapidly emerged as a leader in India's space industry. Dr. Somanath was given an extensive tour of the MAX-Q facility. The discussion also touched upon Skyroot's upcoming orbital launch

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chief Dr S Somanath visited Skyroot Aerospace's MAX-Q headquarters on Wednesday.


During his visit, the Indian space agency head was briefed on the developments of the Vikram-I launch vehicle, which is expected to conduct its maiden launch in the third quarter of 2024.

The Indian space agency and the private sector are advancing the country's ambitions in space exploration and technology.

Founded by Pawan Kumar Chandana and Naga Bharath Daka, Skyroot Aerospace has rapidly emerged as a leader in India's space industry. The company made headlines last year when it successfully launched Vikram-S, South Asia's first privately developed rocket, signalling a new era for space exploration in the region.

Vikram-I

During his visit, Dr Somanath was given an extensive tour of the MAX-Q facility, where he was introduced to the Vikram-1 hardware.

This next-generation rocket is part of Skyroot's ambitious plan to develop and launch a series of small-lift launch vehicles tailored for the burgeoning small satellite market. The discussion also touched upon Skyroot's upcoming orbital launch.

Skyroot successfully test-fired the second stage engine of its Vikram-1 space launch vehicle, named Kalam-250 in March this year. The test was conducted at the Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota on March 27, 2024.

The Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) provided a proprietary head-mounted safe arm (HMSA) device for the test, ensuring the rocket stage's safe operation. The solid propellant used in the Kalam-250 was processed at Solar Industries' unique facility in Nagpur.

Previously, Skyroot had successfully tested the Kalam-100, the third stage of Vikram-1, in June 2021.