Skyroot's Vikram-1 Reaches Orbit with 3D Printed Engines

Skyroot Aerospace, an Indian private rocket company, achieved a significant milestone with the successful orbital launch of its Vikram-1 rocket on July 18th. This launch not only marked India's first private orbital mission but also highlighted the increasing role of additive manufacturing in space exploration, as the rocket was partially powered by 3D printed engines.

The Vikram-1's fourth stage, a liquid-propellant Orbital Adjustment Module, utilized Raman-1 engines. These engines are capable of restarting in a vacuum, allowing Skyroot to precisely place multiple payloads into separate orbits. The company has stated that these are India's first fully 3D printed orbital engines.

The rocket lifted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Center and successfully reached a 450km low Earth orbit during its 16-minute flight. The mission, named 'Aagman' (Sanskrit for 'arrival'), deployed six payloads. This achievement positions Skyroot as the first private Indian company to successfully reach orbit, placing India alongside the United States and China as nations with private orbital launch capabilities.

Skyroot reports that transitioning from traditionally cast and machined engines to 3D printed ones drastically reduces production time, from months to mere days per unit. The Raman-1 engines were developed alongside carbon-composite airframes and modular avionics, a strategy Skyroot believes is key to the economics of its target market: on-demand small-satellite launches to specific orbits.

This accelerated engine production allows Skyroot to iterate designs more rapidly and build rockets at a faster pace. The company aims to produce one complete rocket per month from its Hyderabad facility, a cadence that would be challenging with conventional manufacturing methods. The success of Vikram-1 aligns with Skyroot's ambitious timeline, as the company was founded just eight years ago by former ISRO engineers.