The Skyroot of our final frontier: Vikram-S’s successful launch will boost both private Indian space firms and Isro’s ambitions

Three years ago, if you walked up to a space enthusiast and told them that a private space company would launch a rocket from an Isro facility in the near future, they would probably laugh at you and tell you that your space prognostication would never take off, let alone rockets.

Fast forward to the present – Skyroot Aerospace, a space startup based in Hyderabad, conducted the first test of its Vikram-S rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre yesterday. Soon to follow is AgniKul Cosmos, based out of Chennai, who will launch their first rocket by the end of the year. Both of the rockets are tech demonstrators. This is a milestone for India and its space sector, as less than three years ago, one could not fathom that these small startups would have the freedom and support to achieve their ambitions.