The space launch company Skyroot is finishing 2020 with a significant achievement in the development of their Vikram-I launch vehicle: a successful firing test of a solid rocket propulsion stage. This stage functions as a technology demonstration for the system that will be implemented in the final Vikram production model. This marks the first instance of a privately owned Indian enterprise independently designing, constructing, and evaluating a complete solid rocket propulsion stage, building on a prior successful upper-stage prototype engine test conducted earlier in the year.

Skyroot also engineered its solid rocket stage utilizing a carbon composite structure, with a fully automated manufacturing process, according to the company. This approach enables weight reductions of up to five times compared to using steel, a common material for solid rocket propellant stage construction. The intention is to apply this same process during the production of the definitive Vikram-I version, which will contribute to substantial cost advantages for the small launch vehicle, alongside the inherent reliability benefits of solid rockets – their uncomplicated design, lacking moving parts, minimizes potential failure points.

The ultimate third-stage Vikram-1 engine will be four times larger than this demonstrator unit, and Skyroot is currently fabricating four additional test solid rocket motors. These motors will provide a range of thrust levels and will undergo testing throughout the coming year as their construction is completed.

Skyroot is planning its inaugural Vikram-I launch by next December, with support from the Indian Space Research Organization. The company has secured $4.3 million in funding to date and is presently working to raise an additional $15 million, with the goal of finalizing this funding round next year. It is poised to be the first private Indian company to develop and operate private launch vehicles, a possibility enabled by the new regulatory environment established following India’s opening of private launch operations earlier this year.