New Delhi: A handwritten postcard by Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be one of the payloads on the Vikram-1 rocket to be launched into space by Skyroot Aerospace on Saturday.
India’s private space sector is set to enter a new chapter with the launch of Vikram-1 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.
The launch is set to mark a major milestone for India’s growing private space sector. The mission, named “Mission Aagaman”, represents Skyroot’s maiden attempt to place a rocket into orbit after the successful Vikram-S suborbital flight in 2022, as reported by timesnow.in.
PM Modi’s handwritten postcard, bearing the words “Vande Mataram” symbolises India’s aspirations in space exploration. It will travel alongside handwritten notes from members of the Skyroot Aerospace team, investors, policymakers and well-wishers across the globe.
Skyroot Aerospace shared a video showing the messages ahead of the July 18 launch: “Among the payloads on Vikram-1 Test Flight-1 is something truly special – a handwritten postcard from Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the words, ‘Vande Mataram’.”
“It travels to space alongside handwritten messages from our team, investors, policymakers, and well-wishers across the globe, making Mission Aagaman a celebration carried by many hands and shared by millions,” the post added.
The flight will serve as the maiden orbital test of Skyroot’s launch vehicle and is likely to offer crucial data that will help the company develop a reliable commercial launch service for small satellites.
Vikram-1 is a seven-storey-tall, multi-stage rocket designed to carry satellites weighing up to 350 kg into low Earth orbit.
The rocket will aim to place payloads into an orbit about 450 km above Earth at an inclination of 60 degrees, for the startup’s first mission. The vehicle features an all-carbon composite structure and uses propulsion technology developed by Skyroot, including 3D-printed rocket engines and solid-fuel boosters.
