Reflect Orbital purchases two Skyroot Aerospace launches
The agreement extends Indian space launch company Skyroot’s commercial launch and supports US-based space tech startup Reflect Orbital’s phased development and deployment plans.
US-based space tech startup Reflect Orbital has announced the purchase of two Skyroot Aerospace launches to deploy future spacecraft. These dedicated launches provide assured schedule and capacity, and complement Reflect Orbital’s other planned launches from sites in the United States, Reflect Orbital said in a press release.
Founded in 2018, Skyroot Aerospace is an Indian private space launch company.
Reflect Orbital builds and operates orbital mirrors that enable controlled lighting without ground infrastructure. This lighting will support a variety of customers, from remote search-and-rescue operations to solar farms generating clean power. To provide these services, the satellites must first get to space.
“There’s a real launch capacity shortage right now,” said Reflect Orbital Co-Founder and CEO, Ben Nowack. “We’re excited to work with a new launch provider, Skyroot, to help ensure access to space.”
Skyroot’s Vikram-1 launch vehicle recently achieved orbit successfully on its first flight, marking a milestone for India’s private space sector. The agreement with Reflect Orbital extends Skyroot’s commercial launch manifest across the Vikram family and supports Reflect Orbital’s phased development and deployment plans.
“Reflect Orbital represents the kind of ambitious global space mission the Vikram family is being built to serve,” said Pawan Kumar Chandana, Co-founder and CEO, Skyroot Aerospace. “We are pleased to partner with Ben and the Reflect Orbital team across two dedicated launches, providing schedule certainty and mission flexibility.”
The first launch on this contract will use the Vikram-1 rocket; the second will use Skyroot’s in-development Vikram-1U rocket, the press release said.