India’s first privately made rocket, the “Vikram-S,” was launched by the Indian company Skyroot Aerospace, which gained prominence. The company pledged to deploy a more sophisticated rocket called “Vikram-1” that would orbit satellites in space after their successful upper-atmospheric rocket launch mission in November 2022 let them demonstrate their essential technology. The first quarter of 2024 is set aside for the launch of this first space-capable rocket. Additionally, Skyroot has agreed to launch the satellites owned by the French companies Promethee Earth Intelligence and ConnectSAT.
According to Skyroot, Prométhée Earth Intelligence hired them to launch satellites for their JAPETUS earth monitoring network on board their Vikram rockets. They entered into a trilateral agreement with Expleo and ConnectSAT under which Expleo would offer reconfigurable software for ConnectSAT’s Internet of Things satellite, which is scheduled to fly on the Vikram-I rocket and become part of the cutting-edge OSIRIS satellite constellation.
As part of a business delegation from France’s visit, these MoUs were signed at the Skyroot facility in Hyderabad. Through these agreements, the French companies would have access to Skyroot’s Vikram series of rockets’ pay-and-launch services. The businesses must negotiate the contractual terms and details of the agreements. The agreement to launch the French satellites does not apply to any specific operation. The company claimed that it may occur over several launches.
The co-founder and CEO of Prométhée, Olivier Piepsz, and the co-founders of Skyroot Aerospace, Pawan Chandana and Bharath Daka, signed the Memorandum of Understanding. This comes after the two businesses reached an exploratory arrangement in Paris in July 2023. The co-founders of Skyroot and Abdoulahi Ben Moussa Dia, CEO of ConnectSAT, Frédérique Rebout, Director of Alliances and Partners, inked the trilateral agreement between Expleo, ConnectSAT, and Skyroot.
Prométhée CEO Olivier Piepsz said, “The strategic relationship between India and France, coupled with the Indian government’s inclusion of the private sector in its remarkable space endeavors, presents an extraordinary opportunity for both our companies.” He emphasized that because 50% of Prométhée’s satellites have certain orbital requirements, Skyroot’s Vikram launch vehicles are the best option for launching a section of their satellite network.
Getting clients is a significant step for a startup rocket company since clients who want to use the rocket as a means of transportation into space are the company’s main source of income. The money made from such commercial launches may also encourage the business to expand operations and launch activities. Notably, the commercial branch of the Indian Space Agency (ISRO) has launched approximately 430 satellites for international and Indian clients, generating millions in foreign cash.
Skyroot’s Vikram-1, which will use liquid propulsion technology that is more effective and sophisticated than that of the Vikram-S, will be challenging to master. The Vikram series of rockets from Skyroot uses cutting-edge manufacturing techniques, including as 3D printing, carbon composite bodies, and modular frameworks that can be customized to meet various space launch needs and orbital deployments.
Former ISRO engineers and scientists created the business. It plans to create and deploy a line of expandable small-lift launch vehicles designed specifically for the market for tiny satellites. India’s first private rocket launching firm, Skyroot Aerospace, was incubated in T-Hub and backed by T-Works.
