Indian Startup Set to Launch Country's First Commercial Orbital Rocket

Skyroot Aerospace's Vikram-1 mission marks a milestone for India's growing private space sector.

Skyroot Aerospace, India's first space-technology company to reach unicorn status, is preparing to launch Vikram-1, billed as the country's first commercially built rocket designed to reach orbit, according to the BBC.

The launch, scheduled for Saturday, represents a significant step for India's private space industry, which has expanded rapidly in recent years as the government has opened the sector to non-state players. Skyroot has positioned itself as a leader among a wave of Indian startups seeking to compete in the global market for small satellite launches.

Details of the mission's payload and launch site were not immediately available. The flight will be closely watched as a test of whether India's private space companies can match the orbital capabilities long dominated by state-run programs and a handful of international competitors.

— Compiled from reporting by the BBC.