What Happened: Skyroot Aerospace is India’s foremost private space launch firm, founded in 2018 by former Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) scientists Pawan Kumar Chandana and Naga Bharath.
The company raised a $11 million Series A round to hire fresh people and finish development of its Vikram-1 launch vehicle. With the money, the business hopes to enter orbit as soon as next year, with 90 percent lower development costs than competitors.
Why Does It Matter? After successfully testing a liquid propulsion engine, a solid rocket stage, and a high-strength carbon composite third stage, the company is now planning to launch and support communication services with its flagship product, the Vikram series.
Mr. Chandana, CEO of Skyroot, said, “The Vikram series of rockets are built on upgradeable architecture that can be produced and launched in less than 72 hours and can lift satellites up to 720 kg to low Earth orbit in the most cost-effective method.” “It also includes a space tug as an upper stage for the final mile of delivery, and it can reach many orbits in a single launch, offering our customers the benefit of both a rocket and a space tug in one.”
Skyroot’s future plans include expanding its footprint in the United States and raising an additional $40 million.
Click here to learn more about Skyroot.
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