India's first privately developed orbital-class rocket Vikram-1 set for launch

📌 Summary:

• Skyroot Aerospace, a Hyderabad-based private space launch company, announced on July 2, 2026 that the launch window for Vikram-1's maiden test flight — named "Mission Aagaman" — is between July 12 and August 4
• Vikram-1 is India's first privately developed orbital-class rocket
• The launch marks a milestone for India's private space sector, opened up through space-sector reforms and the creation of IN-SPACe
• The rocket is named after Dr Vikram Sarabhai, regarded as the father of the Indian space programme

🎯 UPSC Relevance: GS3 Science & Technology — private participation in space, space-sector reforms, indigenous capability

📝 Prelims Facts:

• Skyroot earlier launched Vikram-S in 2022 (India's first privately built, sub-orbital rocket) under "Mission Prarambh"
• An orbital-class rocket can place a payload into orbit, unlike a sub-orbital one
• IN-SPACe regulates and promotes private space activity; NSIL is the commercial arm of the Department of Space

🔑 Key Term: Orbital-class rocket — a launch vehicle capable of reaching the velocity needed to place a payload into a stable orbit.