Sriharikota
\nIndia successfully launched its first privately developed rocket, the Vikram-S, on Friday, a milestone in the country\u2019s effort to create a commercial space industry and to compete on cost.
\nThe 545kg rocket, developed by space startup Skyroot, took off from the Indian space agency\u2019s launch site near Chennai and hit a peak altitude of 89.5 kilometres.
\nThe rocket has the capability of reaching Mach 5 \u2014 five times the speed of sound \u2014 and carrying a payload of 83kg to an altitude of 100km, the company said.
\nThe Skyroot team had set a target of 80km for its first launch, a benchmark some agencies define as the frontier of space. The Karman line \u2014 set by an international aeronautics body as defining the boundary between the Earth\u2019s atmosphere and space \u2014 is at 100km altitude.
\nVideo footage showed the rocket taking off from the space centre, leaving a plume of smoke and fire in its trail. It splashed down in the Bay of Bengal about 5 minutes after launch, officials said.
\n\u201cI\u2019m happy to announce the successful completion of Mission Prarambh, the beginning,\u201d said Pawan Goenka, who chairs the Indian government agency that coordinates private-sector space activities.
\nSkyroot, which was started by Pawan Chandana and Bharath Daka, has set a target of cutting development costs by up to 90 per cent versus existing platforms to launch small satellites.
\nIt expects to achieve those cost savings by using a rocket architecture that can be assembled in less than 72 hours with composite materials. It plans launches capable of delivering satellites starting next year.
\n\u201cInnovation and cost efficiency should be the two drivers for the industry. Cost efficiency has already been achieved, and now we should look at cutting-edge technology,\u201d Chandana said.
\nThe Indian government has been pushing to develop a private space industry to complement its state-run space programme known for its affordable launches and missions.
\nIndia\u2019s unmanned Mars mission in 2014 cost only $74 million, and made headlines for costing less than the Academy Award-winning film \u201cGravity\u201d.
\nUntil now, the state-run ISRO has had a monopoly on launching rockets in India.
\nThe Skyroot rockets are named after Vikram Sarabhai, the Indian physicist and astronomer considered the father of India\u2019s space programme.
\nHyderabad-based Skyroot, founded in 2018 and backed by Singapore sovereign wealth fund GIC, was the first space startup to sign an agreement to use Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) launch and test facilities after the government opened the door to private companies in 2020.
\nIt has raised 5.26 billion rupees ($64.42 million) so far and employs about 200 people. Close to 100 people have been involved in its maiden launch project, the company said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Sriharikota India successfully launched its first privately developed rocket, the Vikram-S, on Friday, a milestone in the country\u2019s effort to create a commercial space industry and to compete on cost. The 545kg rocket, developed by space startup Skyroot, took off from the Indian space agency\u2019s launch site near Chennai and hit a peak altitude of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":296075,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-296029","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n