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(DPA)
A privately developed Indian launch vehicle has put satellites into the Earth's orbit for the first time, Skyroot Aerospace said on X on Saturday, making India the third country - after the United States and China - to carry out orbital launches with private companies.
The first test flight of the Vikram-1 was successful, the company said after its rocket deployed its payloads into an orbit at an altitude of around 450 kilometres.
"ORBIT ACHIEVED," the company wrote on X.
The launch was intended to test the rocket for commercial use. In Europe, firms such as Isar Aerospace are working on such a launch.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) congratulated the company.
"The mission marks a significant milestone for India's private space sector and reflects the growing capability of the country's space ecosystem," ISRO said on X.
The multi-stage rocket lifted off shortly after 12 pm (0630 GMT) on July 18 at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre spaceport on India's east coast, live footage from Indian broadcasters showed.
Skyroot Aerospace says it develops "on-demand launch vehicles" intended to take satellites into space at short notice. The start-up's Vikram-1 is designed for small satellites of up to 350 kilograms.
During the test flight as part of the "Aagman" mission, which is Sanskrit for arrival, it carried six payloads that included a robotic arm intended to collect space debris in orbit and smaller satellites.
India's space sector is currently undergoing a period of important changes, according to the government. Three years ago, space policy made it possible for non-state actors to participate in the entire space value chain.
