India’s space ambitions got a huge boost in the Independence week as Skyroot Aerospace successfully test-fired the first stage of its upcoming Vikram-1 rocket, country’s first privately developed orbital launch vehicle.

The trial was held at ISRO’s Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. It was a static test, meaning the rocket stage stayed fixed to the ground while its engines fired. The aim was to check if everything works exactly as it should before the rocket attempts its first real flight later this year.

Kalam-1200 – The giant booster

The first stage, named Kalam-1200 after the late President and rocket scientist Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, is the largest solid-fuel rocket motor ever built by India’s private space sector. It is 11 metres in length with a thrust of nearly 1200kN, about 10 times more powerful than the engine on a Boeing 737 Max. It is made of carbon composite for strength and lightness.

ISRO engineers helped with the tricky job of casting and pouring the special solid propellant into the rocket casing.

“Witnessing Kalam-1200 roar to life was exhilarating,” said Pawan Kumar Chandana, Co-founder & CEO of Skyroot. “It’s the result of years of hard engineering and the active support of ISRO and IN-SPACe.”

The importance of test

During the 110-second firing, Kalam-1200 performed exactly as expected. Engineers checked the booster’s power and burn rate, its thermal protection system to handle extreme heat and the flex nozzle system, which steers the rocket in flight using commands from Vikram-1’s onboard computer.

In actual flight, this stage will push Vikram-1 up to 50 km above Earth before separating, allowing the upper stages to carry satellites into orbit.

“This test proves the entire stage works as one system including the propulsion, steering, heat protection, everything,” added Naga Bharath Daka, Co-founder & COO. “Now we’re more confident than ever for Vikram-1’s first flight.”

Dr. Pawan Goenka, Chairman of IN-SPACe, congratulated the team, calling it “a landmark achievement that paves the way for Skyroot to make history.”

The next stage…!

Once ready, Vikram-1 will become the first Indian private rocket to reach orbit. It’s designed to provide on-demand, customised launches for small satellites, serving clients in India and around the world.

This milestone not only brings Skyroot closer to its first orbital mission but also marks a major leap for India’s growing private space industry.