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Skyroot's Vikram-I orbital rocket in the news
खबर में क्यों?
India's first private orbital rocket: how Vikram-I follows Vikram-S, and the IN-SPACe role GS3 Space tests
Quick scan: Vikram-I is Skyroot Aerospace's orbital rocket.
Why it matters: asked in KPSC 2023
What you need to know
2 मिनट
Vikram-I is the orbital-class launch vehicle developed by Skyroot Aerospace, a Hyderabad-based private space start-up.
It follows Vikram-S, India's first privately built rocket to fly, and is part of the opening of the space sector to private players through IN-SPACe.
स्रोत: Topper IAS editorial (PIB / The Hindu / Indian Express)
मुख्य तथ्य
Remember these
- Vikram-I is the orbital-class launch vehicle of Skyroot Aerospace, a Hyderabad-based private space start-up.
- Vikram-S, its predecessor, was India's first privately built rocket to fly (sub-orbital, launched from Sriharikota in November 2022).
- IN-SPACe (Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre) is the single-window body that authorises and promotes private space activity.
- Opening of the space sector to private players began with the 2020 reforms, with ISRO's facilities such as Sriharikota made available to them.
- Launch site relevant to the story: Sriharikota (Andhra Pradesh); company base: Hyderabad (Telangana).
प्रीलिम्स · मेन्स
How the exam will ask it
प्रीलिम्स
- Vikram-I is an orbital-class launch vehicle developed by a private Indian start-up, Skyroot Aerospace, unlike the sub-orbital Vikram-S.
- IN-SPACe functions as an autonomous agency within the Department of Space to authorise and promote non-government space activities.
- Vikram-S was India's first privately developed rocket to be launched, from ISRO's spaceport at Sriharikota.
मेन्स
GS3 (Science and Technology, Space): India's space sector was a state monopoly through ISRO, but the 2020 reforms created IN-SPACe as a single-window regulator and promoter, enabling start-ups like Skyroot to build launch vehicles such as Vikram-I. The implication is lower launch costs, a larger share of the global launch market and ISRO freed for strategic and deep-space missions. The way forward is a clear space activities law, liability and safety norms, assured access to launch infrastructure and sustained private capital.
PYQ connection
A question UPSC has already asked on this
Which of the following statements is wrong with reference to Vikram-S?
- It was launched by DRDO.
- It was launched from Sriharikota.
- The mission was titled 'Prarambh'.
- It is India's first privately developed rocket.
उत्तर देखें
उत्तर: A
Why this matters: today's issue is directly connected to a concept UPSC has already tested. Read the story with this question in mind.
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