India Launches Country’s First Privately Made Rocket

India successfully launched its first privately developed rocket, the Vikram-S, on Friday.

The 545-kg rocket, developed by space startup Skyroot, took off from the Indian space agency’s launch site near Chennai and hit a peak altitude of 89.5 kilometres.

The rocket has the capability of reaching Mach 5 - five times the speed of sound - and carrying a payload of 83 kg to an altitude of 100 kilometres, the company said.

The Skyroot team had set a target of 80 km for its first launch, a benchmark some agencies define as the frontier of space.

The Karman line - set by an international aeronautics body as defining the boundary between the Earth's atmosphere and space - is at 100 km altitude.

“I’m happy to announce the successful completion of Mission Prarambh, the beginning,” said Pawan Goenka, who chairs the Indian government agency that coordinates private-sector space activities.

Skyroot expects to achieve those cost savings by using a rocket architecture that can be assembled in less than 72 hours with composite materials.

It plans launches capable of delivering satellites starting next year.

The Skyroot rockets are named after Vikram Sarabhai, the Indian physicist and astronomer considered the father of India’s space program.