Published: 11:18, July 19, 2026
India's first privately-developed space vehicle successfully launched
By Xinhua

In this file photo dated July 30, 2026, the NISAR satellite, a joint mission by NASA and ISRO, lifts off aboard a GSLV-F16 rocket, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, India. (PHOTO/ AP)

NEW DELHI – India's first privately-developed launch vehicle "Vikram 1" was successfully launched on Saturday from the Satish Dhawan Space Center located in Sriharikota in the country's southern state of Andhra Pradesh.

"Vikram 1" was a multi-stage launch vehicle capable of placing payloads weighing up to 350 kilograms into low Earth orbit. All its stages reportedly performed nominally, with the separations being precise and clean.

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Congratulating the team of scientists at private company Skyroot Aerospace, who indigenously built the launch vehicle, the Indian Space Research Organisation said that the mission marked a significant milestone for India's private space sector and reflected the growing capability of the country's space ecosystem.