Skyroot Aerospace
Indian spaceflight company
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Skyroot Aerospace Private Limited is an Indian private aerospace manufacturer and commercial launch service provider headquartered in Hyderabad, Telangana. The company was founded by two former ISRO scientists, Pawan Kumar Chandana, and Naga Bharath Daka.
| |
 Skyroot headquarters in Hyderabad | |
| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Space |
| Founded | 12 June 2018 |
| Founders |
|
| Headquarters | MAX-Q, , India |
| Key people | |
| Products | Launch vehicles |
| Services | Launch service provider |
| Revenue |  ₹100.6 crore (US$10 million) (FY26)[1] |
Number of employees | 1,000+[2] (2026) |
| Website | www |
On 18 November 2022, Skyroot became the first private company in India to launch a suborbital rocket, Vikram-S.[3][4] On 18 July 2026, Skyroot successfully launched India's first private orbital class rocket Vikram-1 into orbit, making India the third country with a private orbital launch capability after the U.S. and China.[5][6]
History
Founding
Skyroot Aerospace was founded in 2018 by former ISRO scientists Pawan Kumar Chandana and Naga Bharath Daka. The company sought to develop commercially competitive launch vehicles for the global small satellite market.[7][8]
The company emerged during a period of increasing government support for private participation in India's space industry. Reforms introduced in 2020 enabled private firms to access certain ISRO facilities and created a regulatory framework under the oversight of Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe).[9][10][11]
Early development
During its initial years, Skyroot focused on developing launch vehicle technologies, and manufacturing processes aimed at reducing launch costs and production times. The company adopted technologies including carbon-composite structures, 3D printing, and modular launch vehicle designs.[12][13]
Mission Prarambh
On 18 November 2022, Skyroot launched Vikram-S, a suborbital rocket, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota under a mission designated Prarambh (lit. 'the beginning'). Vikram-S used the existing launch pad and ground support system infrastructure provided by the government of India at Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC). The mission reached an altitude of approximately 89.5 km (55.6 mi) and marked the first successful launch of a privately developed rocket from India. The event was widely regarded as a milestone in the development of India's private space industry.[15]
Expansion and funding
Following the Vikram-S mission, Skyroot raised capital from domestic and international investors. On 30 October 2023, the company announced that it had raised US$27.5 million in a pre-Series C funding round led by Temasek Holdings that brought its cumulative funding to approximately US$95 million.[16]
On 21 January 2025, the Government of Telangana signed a MoU with Skyroot Aerospace at the World Economic Forum to establish a private rocket manufacturing, integration, and testing facility in Telangana with an estimated investment of ₹500 crores.[17][18]
On 7 May 2026, following its latest funding round of approximately US$60 million, Skyroot Aerospace crossed US$1.1 billion in valuation. With this, it became India's first space-tech unicorn.[19][20]
Mission Aagaman
On 2 July 2026, the company announced a launch window from 12 July to 4 August 2026 for its first orbital mission, 'Mission Aagaman' (lit. 'the arrival'), using the Vikram-1 launch vehicle from the SDSC. The mission is intended to demonstrate the rocket's propulsion, guidance, and stage-separation systems while carrying domestic and international payloads.[21][22]
On 18 July 2026, the launch was successful, with the mission meeting all its objectives and deploying payload at an altitude of 450 km (280 mi). Skyroot became the first private Indian company to successfully reach space in its first attempt. This made India the third country in the world after the U.S. and China to have rocket launch by private company.[23]
Hardware
Launch vehicles
Vikram-1
Vikram-1 is a four-stage small-lift launch vehicle. The first launch of Vikram-1 took place on 18 July 2026.[24][25][26]
Vikram-2
Vikram-2 is an under-development small-lift launch vehicle. The rocket will use an upper stage cryogenic engine powered by the Dhawan-series rocket engine.[27]
Rocket engines
Solid rocket motors
Kalam-100
The Kalam-100 (named after A. P. J. Abdul Kalam) is the third-stage solid rocket motor of Vikram-1. The stage produces a peak vacuum thrust of approximately 100 kN (or ~10 tons). In April 2025, Skyroot conducted successful static firing of Kalam-100 featuring an advanced flex-nozzle system for thrust vector control. The test lasted over 102 seconds and formed part of the qualification programme for the maiden orbital flight of Vikram-1.[28]
Kalam-250
The Kalam-250 is the second-stage solid rocket motor of Vikram-1. for the second stage of the Vikram-1 launch vehicle. It was successfully static-tested on 27 March 2024 at ISRO's Satish Dhawan Space Centre, validating its 85-second burn and critical propulsion systems.[29]
Kalam-1200
The Kalam-1200 is the first-stage solid rocket motor of Vikram-1. On 8 August 2025, Skyroot Aerospace successfully conducted the first static test of the Kalam-1200 solid rocket motor at SDSC, Sriharikota. The 110 second test validated the booster of the Vikram-1.[30]
Earth-storable rocket engine
Raman-I
Raman-I (named after C. V. Raman) is a liquid-fuel upper stage engine of Vikram-1.[31]
Cryogenic rocket engines
Dhawan-I
On 25 September 2020, Skyroot Aerospace unveiled the Dhawan-I (named after Satish Dhawan) upper stage cryogenic engine that will power heavier-lift systems such as Vikram-2. This is India's first privately developed small cryogenic engine running on liquefied natural gas (LNG) and liquid oxygen (LOX). Dhawan-I is 3D printed and designed with a regenerative cooling configuration. The engine is made by using superalloys.[32][33]
Dhawan-II
On 5 April 2023, Skyroot announced the successful completion of a 200-second endurance static-fire test of its Dhawan-II engine, showcasing the viability of large-scale additive manufacturing for cryogenic propulsion.[34]
Dhawan-III
The Dhawan-III engine represents an evolution of the earlier Dhawan-I and Dhawan-II engines, incorporating improvements aimed at future reusable launch vehicles and advanced upper-stage propulsion systems. In February 2026, Skyroot announced that Dhawan-III had successfully completed a 145-second endurance static-fire test. The firing was conducted on an indigenous mobile test stand designed and built in-house by the company. The test was intended to validate the engine's performance, combustion stability, and operational reliability over an extended duration.[35]
Facilities
Skyroot Aerospace has modern facilities for designing, building, testing, and assembling rockets and their components. These facilities help the company develop launch vehicles, test rocket engines, prepare missions, and support commercial satellite launches with advanced engineering and technology.[36]
MAX-Q
On 24 October 2023, the largest private integrated rocket development facility in India was unveiled by Skyroot Aerospace.[37][38] It is situated next to the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport and spans 60,000 square feet. With space for about 300 personnel, this facility will host Skyroot's integrated design, manufacturing, and testing infrastructure for developing rockets.[39][40]
Infinity Campus
On 27 November 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Infinity Campus of Skyroot Aerospace. Spread across 200,000 square feet in Hyderabad, this facility will be able to design, manufacture, integrate, and test a number of launch vehicles and produce one orbital rocket each month.[41]
Industry collaboration
An agreement has been signed by Nibe Space, a division of Nibe Defence and Aerospace on 9 September 2024, with Skyroot Aerospace, AgniKul Cosmos, Centum Electronics, SpaceFields, Sisir Radar, CYRAN AI Solutions, and Larsen & Toubro for the launch of India's first constellation of multi-sensor, all-weather, high-revisit Earth observation satellites.[42]
On 25 June 2025, Skyroot Aerospace and Axiom Space signed an MoU to work together to increase access to LEO.[43] Skyroot Aerospace and Axiom Space will look into orbital and launch systems that are integrated for next trips to Axiom Station and beyond.[44] The two businesses intend to look into potential joint ventures for the construction of space infrastructure.[45] By connecting Axiom's under-construction commercial space station and other LEO projects with Skyroot's upcoming Vikram-1 launch capability, the partnership hopes to create a new logistics corridor for research payloads, orbital data-center nodes, and upcoming commercial missions.[46]
