PM Modi's 'Vande Mataram' Message to Fly Aboard India's First Private Orbital Rocket
Hyderabad-based Skyroot Aerospace is preparing to launch India's first private orbital rocket, the Vikram-1, which will carry a special message from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Prime Minister wrote 'Vande Mataram' on a commemorative postcard, which will travel into space alongside hundreds of cards from people around the world.
The gesture highlights the growing collaboration between the government and India's private space sector. Skyroot Aerospace, founded in 2018 by former ISRO scientists Pawan Chandana and Naga Bharath Daka, represents one of the key successes of India's decision to open space to private enterprise.
The company's note, titled 'A Billion Dreams... Even More Possibilities,' summarises the aspirations of many: 'Every new satellite in space transforms life on Earth. They connect billions to the internet, help precise navigation, enable precision agriculture, monitor our planet, forecast weather, detect disaster, strengthen national security, improve weather forecasting, guide fishermen to richer waters, help combat climate change, and will increasingly power the AI-driven world of tomorrow.'
The Vikram-1 mission follows the successful suborbital launch of Vikram-S in 2022, which was the first privately developed Indian rocket to reach space. The upcoming orbital launch is a more complex challenge, requiring precise coordination of the rocket's stages, software, and subsystems. Success would place Skyroot among a select group of private launch providers capable of delivering payloads to orbit.
Skyroot has received postcards from Union Minister Piyush Goyal, former ISRO chairman S. Somanath, and Shubhanshu Shukla, the first Indian to visit the International Space Station. The company's journey has been supported by reforms initiated under Prime Minister Modi, including the creation of IN-SPACe, which provides startups with access to ISRO facilities and expertise.
The Vikram-1 rocket is named after Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, the father of India's space programme. It is designed to carry satellites for customers in India and abroad. The mission represents a significant step for India's commercial space ambitions, demonstrating the potential of private enterprise in a field once dominated by government agencies.
