The unprecedented success of Vikram-1 on its maiden flight is yet to sink in for Skyroot Aerospace and its founders, Pawan Kumar Chandana and Naga Bharath Daka, but the company is not pausing to bask in the glory. In an exclusive interview with Swati Bharadwaj, Chandana, who is also Skyroot’s CEO, said that while he has received over 3,000 congratulatory messages from across the world, they have already begun preparing for commercial launches early next year.“It still feels surreal,” an elated yet exhausted Chandana said. “The first launch being successful on the very first attempt has never happened at all in space history. No private company with a new vehicle, without engines or anything being tested in another vehicle, has done it. It’s the first time in the world a private company has done it.”The team is now reviewing the mission. A large volume of flight data, including telemetry and visual observations from the launch is being analysed.“There is so much data to analyse,” he said.The company is planning another Vikram-1 mission by the end of this year.“As of now, the target is the end of the year,” Chandana said. “It depends on our data analysis. If we have to make some improvements, the time it will take to improve will decide the launch.”Reflecting on how satellite operators place a premium on launch reliability, he said, “When the first launch itself succeeds, that brings a lot of belief in the customer. Their payloads are expensive and they cannot tolerate many failures. This instils a lot of confidence in them.”Skyroot expects to begin commercial launches with Vikram-1 early next year after completing its test phase. Chandana said the company’s first scale-up goal is to reach a production capacity of one Vikram-1 rocket per month at some point next year, although that will not immediately mean one launch every month.“Our focus is to get to one a month first. Then we will see beyond that,” he said. Vikram-1 will remain Skyroot’s workhorse in the near term, with multiple missions planned before Vikram-2, with a proposed payload capacity of 1,000 kg, enters service. “Vikram-2 next year-end is the target. But until then, Vikram-1 will be launching multiple missions,” Chandana said. “Vikram-2 enhances our capability to launch larger satellites.” He said it is too early to estimate Skyroot’s eventual launch cadence or production scale with certainty. “Maybe after two, three missions we can come to that… There is always a chance of new learnings in every mission, especially the initial few missions.”Chandana said that apart from achieving success in the first attempt, Vikram-1 also has other firsts to its credit — it demonstrated three key technologies for the first time in India — an all-carbon composite rocket structure, a 3D-printed engine on the orbit adjustment module and a pneumatic separation system.“The entire rocket structure is built with carbon composite,” he said. “The final stage, the orbit adjustment module, is run by a 3D-printed engine. That is the first 3D-printed engine that has flown from India to orbit.”The pneumatic separation system, he said, is also a first for India and among only a few globally. Unlike pyrotechnic separation systems, which are consumed during testing and must be rebuilt, pneumatic systems can be tested repeatedly on the ground before flight.“This pneumatic separation system is also good for future reusable vehicle development,” Chandana said.Vikram-2, he said, will include a cryogenic upper stage using methane and oxygen as fuel and oxidiser.Reflecting on the launch, Chandana said holds and pauses are common. “In most first launches, they get into hold. The automatic launch sequence is very, very complex. Any deviation in the rocket parameters, it will hold the launch.“The mission objective was just lifting off and clearing the launch tower itself. But then it went all the way to orbit.”Despite the success, Chandana said the company is treating the mission with caution.“Rocket science is very complex,” he said. “The mission was successful, but it could have gone the other way as well.”Asked whether he would take a break after the milestone, Chandana said: “Not a vacation. I never have vacations after launches.”
