PM Modi's Handwritten 'Vande Mataram' Postcard Is Going to Space Aboard Skyroot's Vikram-1

A handwritten postcard from Prime Minister Narendra Modi bearing the words "Vande Mataram" is set to travel to space aboard Skyroot Aerospace's Vikram-1 rocket during its first orbital test flight.

Skyroot, India's first private space company, revealed that the postcard will be among the payloads carried aboard Vikram-1 Test Flight-1 as part of Mission Aagaman, adding a symbolic element to a flight that represents a major milestone for India's growing private space industry.

"Among the payloads on Vikram-1 Test Flight-1 is something truly special, a handwritten postcard from Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi with the words, 'Vande Mataram'," Skyroot Aerospace said in a post on X.

Messages From Across the World Will Also Fly

The Prime Minister's postcard will not be the only handwritten message travelling aboard the rocket. According to Skyroot, Mission Aagaman will also carry messages written by members of its team, investors, policymakers and well-wishers from around the world.

The company described the initiative as a celebration involving people who have supported its journey, with the messages becoming symbolic passengers aboard the mission.

Vikram-1 Marks Skyroot's Next Big Step

Vikram-1 is Skyroot's first orbital-class launch vehicle and represents a significant step forward from Vikram-S, the rocket that made history in November 2022 as India's first privately developed rocket to be launched into space.

The Vikram-S mission, named Prarambh, was a suborbital demonstration flight that reached a peak altitude of 88.8km and a maximum velocity of Mach 5.07. It was designed to validate technologies that would eventually be used across Skyroot's Vikram family of orbital launch vehicles.

Vikram-1 is designed for launching small satellites into orbit and can support both dedicated and rideshare missions. According to Skyroot, the rocket can carry payloads of up to 350kg to Low Earth Orbit and up to 260kg to Sun-synchronous Orbit.

The launch vehicle uses an all-carbon composite structure along with solid-fuel boosters and a 3D-printed liquid engine.

From Prarambh to Aagaman

The upcoming test flight represents the next chapter in Skyroot's effort to establish private orbital launch capabilities from India. While Mission Prarambh demonstrated that a privately developed Indian rocket could successfully complete a suborbital flight, Vikram-1 is designed to take the company's ambitions further by delivering payloads into orbit.

For Skyroot, Mission Aagaman will therefore be more than another rocket test. It will be a crucial demonstration of the company's ability to transition from suborbital launches to orbital missions. And when Vikram-1 takes flight, it will carry something considerably less technical alongside its payloads: a handwritten message from India's Prime Minister with two words, "Vande Mataram", travelling from India towards space.