Vikram-I Rocket:
The Prime Minister of India unveiled Skyroot Aerospace’s first orbital rocket, Vikram-I.
- Vikram-I Rocket is developed by Skyroot Aerospace.
- It is India’s new private orbital-class launch vehicle named after the notable space pioneer Vikram Sarabhai.
- It uses an all-carbon composite structure for enhanced lightweight strength and efficiency.
- It emphasises simplicity, reliability, and the ability to launch within 24 hours from any location.
- It has four stages and the first three stages are solid-fuelled, providing robust initial thrust, topped by a hypergolic liquid upper stage for precise orbital adjustments.
- Stage 4 uses a cluster of four Raman engines. These are hypergolic engines, (meaning they ignite instantly when two chemicals, MMH fuel and NTO oxidiser, come into contact).
- It is built to target the small-satellite segment and is capable of placing multiple satellites into orbit in a single mission.
- It can deploy up to 350 kg into low Earth orbit (LEO) and 260 kg into a sun-synchronous orbit (SSO).
- Other key innovations include 3D-printed engines, ultra-low-shock pneumatic separation systems, and advanced avionics for real-time guidance.
