Skyroot Aerospace

Skyroot Aerospace specializes in developing and manufacturing small satellite launch vehicles. The company's flagship product line is the Vikram series of rockets, named after India's space program founder Vikram Sarabhai. The Vikram series includes the suborbital Vikram-S and three orbital-class vehicles - Vikram-1, Vikram-2, and Vikram-3. In November 2022, Skyroot achieved a significant milestone by successfully launching India's first privately developed rocket, Vikram-S, which reached an altitude of 89.5 kilometers. The company's Vikram-1 orbital rocket, standing seven stories tall with an all-carbon structure, can carry payloads up to 480 kilograms to low-inclination orbit and 290 kilograms to sun-synchronous polar orbit. In March 2024, Skyroot successfully test-fired the Stage-2 (Kalam-250) of its Vikram-1 launch vehicle at ISRO's Satish Dhawan Space Centre. The company has developed India's first privately built cryogenic, hypergolic-liquid, and solid fuel-based rocket engines. Its manufacturing process incorporates advanced composite materials and 3D-printing technologies, enabling bulk production with minimal infrastructure requirements. The rockets are designed for quick assembly and launch within 24 hours. For satellite launches, Skyroot plans to charge approximately USD 20,000 per kilogram, focusing on providing customized launch solutions for satellites under 500 kilograms.

Key customers and partnerships

In October 2023, Skyroot entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with France's Promethee Earth Intelligence to provide launch services for their nanosatellite constellations. In February 2021, the company partnered with India's Bellatrix Aerospace for using their orbital transfer vehicle on Skyroot's rockets. The company also formed partnerships with Australian companies HEX20 and QL Space to provide launch services and support joint mineral exploration missions. In 2021, Skyroot became the first private startup to sign a memorandum of understanding with ISRO for sharing facilities and expertise.