Why in the news
Hyderabad-based Skyroot Aerospace declared on 2 July 2026 the dates for the first orbital attempt of its Vikram-1 rocket, called Mission Aagaman (Sanskrit for “Arrival”).
Mission snapshot
| Item | Detail |
|---|
| Vehicle | Vikram-1, Test Flight-1 |
| Mission name | Aagaman |
| Window | 12 July to 4 August 2026 |
| Site | Satish Dhawan Space Centre-SHAR, Sriharikota (First Launch Pad) |
| Orbit | Low Earth Orbit, 450 km, 60° inclination |
| Payload capacity | Small satellites up to 350 kg |
| Nature | Partly commercial, with domestic and foreign customer payloads |
Rocket features
- Roughly seven storeys tall, multi-stage orbital vehicle.
- All-carbon composite structure.
- Home-grown propulsion: 3D-printed engines and high-thrust solid-fuel boosters.
- Design favours quick fabrication and frequent launches.
Objectives
- Record live flight data on propulsion, stage separation, guidance-navigation-control and overall performance.
- Validate designs for later variants.
- Lay the base for a dependable, high-frequency commercial launch service.
Earlier flight: Vikram-S
| Item | Detail |
|---|
| Date | 18 November 2022 |
| Mission | Prarambh (“Beginning”) |
| Type | Suborbital, peak speed above Mach 5 |
| Claim to fame | First privately built Indian rocket to reach space |
Exam angle
- Company: Skyroot Aerospace (Hyderabad).
- Aagaman is Skyroot’s second flight, after Prarambh.
- Orbit type: LEO, 450 km, 60° inclination.