New Delhi: In a boost to private sector in space technology, India’s private space company Skyroot Aerospace has inked an agreement with the French new-space operator Promethee to launch its satellite constellation into space.
The agreement came on the sidelines of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to France. The launch is expected to happen as soon as December this year as Skyroot continues to develop its Vikram-I launch vehicle.
The two Indian and French companies have agreed to study the integration of Skyroot’s Vikram launcher into the deployment process of the JAPETUS earth observation constellation. Promethee is developing nanosatellite constellations for Earth observation that will be launched into space by Skyroot.
“Climate change and the increase in human activity have a direct impact on ecosystems and populations. It is essential to have the means to observe, monitor, and predict these events,” Promethee said in a statement.
Skyroot said that as Earth-to-space transportation remains expensive, access to space has been limited to very few governments and enterprises. Yet space has transformed our lives for decades through GPS, Satellite internet and television, weather prediction, disaster response, understanding the universe, and many others.
Skyroot made national headlines after it launched India’s first privately developed rocket Vikram-S into space from Sriharikota. Aided by ISRO, Skyroot is developing the Vikram-I and Vikram-II launch vehicles to cater to the global satellite launch demands.
The company recently conducted the flight qualification test of the Raman-I engine, which will be used for roll attitude control in the company’s under-development Vikram-I rocket. The engine underwent a test fire at the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), making Skyroot the first private company to utilise this facility.
Skyroot has been developing three variants of the Vikram rocket. While Vikram-I can carry 480 kilograms of payload to Low Earth Orbit, Vikram-II is designed to lift off with 595 kilograms of cargo. Meanwhile, Vikram-III can launch with 815 kg to 500 km Low Inclination Orbit.
