GUWAHATI : Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday said the successful launch of India’s first privately developed orbital rocket, Vikram-1, was a “new pinnacle for India’s space industry and the limits of entrepreneurial possibilities”.

Congratulating the team of Skyroot Aerospace, which was behind the development of the rocket, he said for “New India’s” innovators, investors and entrepreneurs, “sky is not the limit, deep space is”.

In its maiden voyage, the four-stage, seven-storey-tall Vikram-1 deployed its primary payloads — technology demonstrators from Grahaa Space, Cosmoserve, DCubed, and Skyroot’s SCOPE — into a 450 km Low Earth Orbit.

It also successfully deployed a micro-art payload, an 18-karat gold rocket and a handwritten postcard from Prime Minister Narendra Modi bearing the message “Vande Mataram”, along with postcards from engineers, scientists, and Indian astronauts.

In his congratulatory message on X, Sarma said, “The launch of Vikram-1 represents a new pinnacle both for India’s space industry and the limits of entrepreneurial possibilities. My compliments to the entire @SkyrootA team as they launch India’s first private orbital launch vehicle.” The achievement reaffirms that in a “New India and under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ji, the sky is not the limit, deep space is for our innovators, investors and entrepreneurs”, the Assam chief minister said.

He said the launch was significant for several reasons, including being the country’s first all-carbon composite orbital rocket, powered by a 3D-printed engine and is a fitting tribute to the pioneers in the field.

Stressing that Vikram-1 is significant for many reasons, the CM said it is India’s first all-carbon composite orbital rocket, powered by a 3D-printed engine.

“Beyond enabling commercially viable satellite launches by the private sector, the mission is also testing technologies that could contribute to tackling the challenge of space debris,” he said.

Pointing out that the launch happened exactly 46 years after the launch of India’s pioneering SLV-3, Sarma said it makes a fitting tribute to the generations of scientists and engineers. (Source: PTI)