Hyderabad-based Skyroot Aerospace will provide two dedicated Vikram rocket launches for California-based Reflect Orbital to deploy future space mirror satellites. The deal, announced on 14 October 2026, gives Reflect Orbital assured schedule and capacity for its on-demand sunlight at night mission. It marks another global commercial win for Skyroot soon after Vikram 1 became India’s first private orbital rocket in July 2026.
What Is Skyroot Aerospace?
Skyroot Aerospace Pvt Ltd is India’s leading private space launch company, based in Hyderabad, Telangana. It was founded in 2018 by former Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) scientists Pawan Kumar Chandana and Naga Bharath Daka to provide on-demand launch services for small satellites.
Skyroot builds the Vikram series of rockets, named after Dr Vikram Sarabhai, the founder of India’s space programme. The company uses all carbon composite structures and in-house propulsion, including solid fuel stages, a 3D printed liquid upper stage engine and a cryogenic engine for heavier variants. This design keeps costs low and allows quick assembly and launch, which Skyroot describes as a cab service to space.
In May 2026, Skyroot raised nearly $60 million at a valuation of $1.1 billion, becoming India’s first space technology unicorn. The round was co-led by Singapore’s sovereign fund GIC and Silicon Valley fund Sherpalo Ventures, with participation from funds managed by BlackRock. Total funding raised crossed $160 million. The company operates from its Max-Q and Infinity campuses in Hyderabad and launches from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh, which is operated by ISRO.
What Does the New Contract Cover?
Reflect Orbital announced the purchase of two Skyroot launches on 14 October 2026 from Hawthorne, California. Both will be dedicated launches, which means the full rocket is booked for Reflect Orbital alone. The customer gets full control over orbit, schedule and mission design, instead of sharing space on a rideshare flight.
Skyroot said the first launch under this contract will use Vikram 1. The second will use Vikram 1U, a variant under development with added first stage boosters for higher performance. The companies have not disclosed the contract value or target launch dates.
A dedicated deal matters for a special reason now. Reflect Orbital has pointed to a real shortage of launch capacity worldwide. These two Indian launches give the company assured seats to space and spread its risk beyond launch sites in the United States. Skyroot’s co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Pawan Kumar Chandana (as of October 2026) said the Vikram family is built for such ambitious global missions, with schedule certainty and mission flexibility.
What Is Vikram 1 and the Vikram Rocket Family?
Vikram 1 is Skyroot’s first orbital class rocket for small satellites. It is a four stage, seven storey, 24 metre vehicle with an all carbon composite body, three solid fuel lower stages and a liquid fuelled Orbital Adjustment Module on top. The restartable upper stage lets the rocket place several satellites in different orbits on a single flight.
Vikram 1 lifted off for the first time on 18 July 2026 from the First Launch Pad at Sriharikota under Mission Aagaman. It flew to a 450 km Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at 60 degree inclination and became the first private Indian rocket to reach orbit. LEO refers to orbits below about 2,000 km where most Earth observation and communication small satellites operate. The rocket is built for rapid response and needs only limited ground infrastructure, with payload delivery possible about 30 days before launch.
The wider Vikram family is modular, which means Skyroot can add boosters and change upper stages to lift heavier loads.
| Rocket | Status | Payload to LEO | Key Feature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vikram S | Flown in November 2022 under Mission Prarambh | 80 kg to 100 km altitude (suborbital) | India’s first private rocket launch, all carbon composite |
| Vikram 1 | Operational since July 2026 | Up to 350 kg to LEO, up to 260 kg to Sun Synchronous Orbit | Three solid stages plus restartable liquid upper stage |
| Vikram 1U | Under development | Higher than Vikram 1 with added boosters | Improved performance version booked for Reflect Orbital’s second launch |
| Vikram 2 | Planned for 2027 | Up to 900 kg to LEO, up to 600 kg to Sun Synchronous Orbit | Cryogenic upper stage powered by Dhawan series engine using liquefied natural gas and liquid oxygen |
The second stage motor of Vikram 1, called Kalam 250, was test fired in March 2024. Skyroot shipped the first stage for its second Vikram 1 flight to Sriharikota in September 2026, with the next launch windows listed for the fourth quarter of 2026 and first quarter of 2027.
What Is Reflect Orbital and How Does Its Sunlight System Work?
Reflect Orbital is a space technology company based in Los Angeles, California, founded in 2021 to build orbital mirrors that send sunlight to precise spots on Earth at night. It is a real, funded startup with about 71 staff and over $35 million in disclosed funding, led by co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Ben Nowack.
The idea is simple in principle. A satellite carries a large, ultrathin mirror. After reaching orbit, the mirror unfolds and tilts to catch sunlight and reflect it down to a chosen ground target. Motors steer the reflection. Software keeps the beam stable and can switch it off instantly by tilting the mirror away. Each panel is extremely light, about 500 grams, with an aluminium front and space grade plastic backing, and is far thinner than a human hair.
The first demonstration satellite is called Earendil 1. It weighs about 134 kg and will unfold four triangular reflector panels into an 18 metre by 18 metre square. It will fly at about 500 to 625 km altitude at near polar inclination. In each pass, it will light a patch about 5 km wide for around four to five minutes at roughly the brightness of a full moon. The United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which regulates satellite radio frequencies and market access in the US, licensed Earendil 1 on 9 July 2026 to build, launch and operate the test. The first demo is expected to fly on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rideshare later in 2026, while the Skyroot launches will support later spacecraft in the phased rollout.
Reflect Orbital sees three early uses. Solar farms could stretch power generation past sunset. Rescue teams could get light in disaster zones without ground power lines. Defence, civil infrastructure and night events could use controlled lighting on demand. The company received a $1.25 million award from the US Air Force in 2025 for the demo and says the prototype cost about $2 million, with future units targeted near $300,000 each. The long term plan is bold, with two satellites in orbit in 2026, more than 1,000 by 2028 and a future constellation of over 50,000 larger 54 metre mirrors.
The plan has also drawn criticism. Astronomers and environmental groups warn that reflected beams could scatter in the atmosphere and brighten the night sky far beyond the target area, harming optical astronomy and natural darkness. Reflect Orbital says it will keep working with astronomers, local communities and regulators as it tests and scales.
Why This Deal Matters for India’s Private Space Sector
The Skyroot Reflect Orbital contract shows that an Indian private rocket can now win dedicated international missions in the small satellite launch market. Small satellites here means spacecraft under a few hundred kilograms, a segment where more than 20,000 launches are expected in the coming decade. For Reflect Orbital, Indian launches add assured capacity at a time of global shortage. For Skyroot, a US customer brings revenue visibility and flight heritage, which is the proven record that future buyers check before booking.
The deal also fits the wider shift opened by India’s space reforms of 2020. The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe), set up in Ahmedabad to allow and promote private space activity, acts as a single window for approvals, launch slots and access to ISRO facilities. Around 440 space technology startups are registered on the Startup India portal. IN-SPACe has granted 113 authorisations to 52 non government entities, including 18 startups such as Skyroot, Agnikul Cosmos, Pixxel and Dhruva Space. The government has set a target of a $44 billion space economy by 2033.
Skyroot and Chennai-based Agnikul Cosmos form the two most visible private launch efforts in this ecosystem.
| Aspect | Skyroot Aerospace | Agnikul Cosmos |
|---|---|---|
| Base and founding | Hyderabad, founded 2018 by Pawan Kumar Chandana and Naga Bharath Daka | Chennai, founded 2017 at IIT Madras, led by Srinath Ravichandran |
| Core vehicle | Vikram 1 for up to 350 kg to LEO, already orbital | Agnibaan, customisable vehicle for up to 300 kg to about 700 km orbit, semi cryogenic |
| Key firsts | Vikram S in 2022 was India’s first private rocket flight, Vikram 1 in July 2026 was India’s first private orbital flight | Agnibaan SOrTeD in May 2024 flew India’s first semi cryogenic engine built with single piece 3D printing, from India’s first private launchpad at Sriharikota |
| Current focus | Higher launch cadence and heavier Vikram 2 with cryogenic stage | Reusable booster recovery and convertible upper stage under Mission 02 |
A foreign contract of this kind strengthens India’s pitch as a low cost, responsive launch hub that can serve both domestic constellations and overseas missions from Sriharikota.
The Way Forward
The next test will be execution on both sides. Skyroot has its second Vikram 1 flight in advanced preparation, with bookings open for the fourth quarter of 2026 and first quarter of 2027. IN-SPACe has indicated two commercial launches by Indian private firms in 2026 to 2027, with more than six expected in 2027 to 2028 once the launch manifest is approved. Steady success in these flights will decide how fast Skyroot can move to full commercial operations and start generating regular launch income.
Reflect Orbital must first prove its core physics in orbit. The Earendil 1 demo will show whether an 18 metre mirror can hold a stable, full moon level beam on a 5 km target for a few minutes without spilling excess light. Data on pointing accuracy, brightness and atmospheric scatter will shape talks with the FCC, astronomers and local communities. Clear results would support the Skyroot flights for larger follow on spacecraft.
For the Vikram 1U, the path includes added booster qualification and improved performance trials. For Vikram 2, the cryogenic Dhawan engine and carbon composite stages must move toward a 2027 debut to lift heavier constellations up to 900 kg. If these steps stay on schedule, India will have a tiered private launch line, from dedicated small launches on Vikram 1 to one tonne class missions on Vikram 2, ready to serve solar, communication and observation payloads from Indian soil.
Key Takeaways
- Reflect Orbital purchased two dedicated Skyroot launches on 14 October 2026 for future space mirror spacecraft.
- The first contracted launch will use Vikram 1 and the second will use the under development Vikram 1U with added boosters.
- Vikram 1 became India’s first private orbital rocket after its successful 18 July 2026 flight from Sriharikota under Mission Aagaman.
- Skyroot Aerospace, founded in 2018 in Hyderabad, became India’s first space tech unicorn in May 2026 at a $1.1 billion valuation.
- Reflect Orbital’s Earendil 1 demo satellite will test an 18 metre by 18 metre mirror to light a 5 km spot at full moon brightness for about five minutes.
