Skyroot Aerospace has successfully completed the hot-fire test of its Raman-1 thruster, marking another important milestone in preparations for the second flight of its Vikram-1 rocket. The Hyderabad-based private space company is progressing with its launch preparations as it works towards strengthening India’s commercial space-launch capabilities.
The Raman-1 thruster is designed to control the roll of the Vikram-1 launch vehicle during flight. Roll refers to the rotation of a rocket around its longitudinal axis. Maintaining proper control over this movement is essential for ensuring the vehicle remains correctly oriented throughout its journey. The successful hot-fire trial demonstrates progress in validating this important flight-control system.
Skyroot Aerospace also released a video showing the thruster firing during the test. The achievement comes as the company advances preparations for Vikram-1’s second orbital mission, with the first-stage hardware reportedly transported to the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota for further integration and testing activities.
The company is targeting the second Vikram-1 flight around December 2026 or early January 2027. The upcoming mission will be important in evaluating the rocket’s performance and demonstrating the reliability of its systems across successive flights.
Vikram-1 achieved a major milestone during its maiden orbital mission on July 18, 2026, when it successfully placed its payloads into low Earth orbit. Standing approximately 22 metres tall, the rocket is designed to carry payloads weighing up to 350 kilograms into orbit. It uses three solid-fuel stages and a liquid-fuel orbital adjustment module.
Skyroot Aerospace aims to move towards commercial launch operations from its third mission, subject to the progress of its development and testing programme. The successful Raman-1 trial is another step towards that objective.
Founded in 2018 by former ISRO scientists Pawan Kumar Chandana and Naga Bharath Daka, Skyroot is playing an important role in India’s emerging private space industry. The upcoming Vikram-1 mission will provide another opportunity for the company to demonstrate its launch technology and strengthen India’s position in the global commercial space sector.