ISRO's First Ever Private Rocket to be Launch Today

ISRO’s First Ever Private Rocket to be Launch Today | Vikram Suborbital rocket

The Vikram-S rocket is a single-stage sub-orbital launch vehicle that will carry three customer payloads and help test and validate technologies in the Vikram series space launch vehicles.

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Significance of ISRO’s first-ever private rocket launch for UPSC

ISRO’s first-ever private rocket Launch Mission which is named ”Mission Prarambh” is of great relevance for UPSC CSE as Space Sector was recently opened up by the government to facilitate private sector participation and now ISRO’s First Ever Private Rocket is ready for Launching. So, ISRO’s first-ever private rocket launch which is named as Vikram Suborbital rocket or Vikram-S will further decide the future course of commercialization of ISRO.

ISRO’s first-ever private rocket launch is also important for UPSC Prelims Exam (Science and Tech current affairs) and UPSC Mains Exam (GS Paper 3- Indigenization of science and technology).

When ISRO’s First Ever Private Rocket is launching?

ISRO’s First Ever Private Rocket is launching today i.e. November 18, 2022, from ISRO’s Sriharikota spaceport which is about 115 km from Chennai.

What is ISRO’s first ever private rocket Vikram-S?

ISRO’s First Ever Private Rocket – Vikram Suborbital rocket or Vikram-S is a privately developed rocket engine. The rocket has been developed by Hyderabad-based Skyroot Aerospace, a company that was started in 2018.
ISRO’s First Ever Private Rocket – Vikram Suborbital rocket or Vikram-S is named after Vikram Sarabhai, the founder of India’s space program.
This ISRO’s First Ever Private Rocket which is 6 m tall is developed with support from ISRO and IN-SPACe.
ISRO’s First Ever Private Rocket(Vikram Suborbital rocket) mission is named ‘Prarambh’ (the beginning) by the parent company(Skyroot Aerospace) since it is the first mission for the company.
With this maiden mission, Skyroot is set to become the first private space company in India to launch a rocket into space, heralding a new era for the space sector.

Know about ”Skyroot Aerospace” which is launching First Ever Private rocket with the help of ”ISRO” and ”IN-SPACe”

Skyroot, a two-time national award winner, is the first start-up to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with ISRO to launch a rocket into space.
Skyroot Aerospace has so far raised $68 million and it is India’s most funded private space startup.
It is among the first companies to locally build fully 3D-printed rocket engines and successfully testing the same in November last year.

What is IN-SPACe?

IN-SPACe (Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre) is an autonomous and single window nodal agency in the Department of Space for the promotion, encouragement and regulation of space activities of both government and private entities.
IN-SPACe will act as a single window, independent nodal agency to take care of all the needs of the private sector.
It also facilitates the usage of ISRO facilities by private entities.
The establishment of IN-SPACe was announced in June 2020.
In June 2022, the Prime Minister inaugurated the headquarters of the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe) in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.

Use and technicalities of ISROs First Ever Private rocket launch

What is the use of Mission Prarambh?

Mission Prarambh will see Vikram-S carry three customer satellites in a sub-orbital flight.
In a sub-orbital flight, the vehicle travels slower than the orbital velocity — which means it is fast enough to reach outer space, but not fast enough to stay in an orbit around the Earth.
The Vikram-S rocket is a single-stage sub-orbital launch vehicle that will carry three customer payloads and help test and validate technologies in the Vikram series space launch vehicles.
This one stage rocket is equipped with sensors for securing datas including measurement of acceleration and pressure.
This rocket goes to the max altitude of 101 kilometers and splashes into the sea and the overall duration of launch is 300 seconds only.

What is Single Stage Suborbital Rocket

A single-stage-to-orbit (or SSTO) vehicle reaches orbit from the surface of a body using only propellants and fluids and without expending tanks, engines, or other major hardware.

What is Kalam-80?

The engine used in the ISRO’s first-ever private launch vehicle(Vikram-S) is named after former president Dr A P J Abdul Kalam.
The performance of the ‘Kalam-80’ will be one of the key areas that the company will monitor during the flight of Vikram-S.

What is future plan with the Vikram Suborbital rocket?

The company(Skyroot Aerospace) is designing three Vikram Suborbital rockets that will use various solid and cryogenic fuels.
The Vikram series of rockets are among the few launch vehicles that have their core structure built using carbon composites.
The thrusters used for spin stability in the vehicle have been 3D printed.
Vikram-S is a single stage solid fuel rocket meant to test nearly 80 per cent of all systems and processes before the launch of Vikram-1 scheduled for next year.
So, the next plan of the company is Vikram-1 which will be a much larger vehicle that will undertake orbital flights.

FAQs on ISRO’s First Ever Private Rocket

Q. What is Mission Prarambh?

Ans. ISRO’s first-ever private rocket Launch Mission is named ‘Prarambh’ (the beginning) by the parent company(Skyroot Aerospace) since it is the first mission for the company.