Skyroot Aerospace’s Vikram-I rocket will head towards its maiden launch from Isro’s Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota without undergoing a wet dress rehearsal, a pre-launch procedure commonly conducted for liquid-fuel rockets such as SpaceX’s Falcon 9.

Skyroot Aerospace Co-founder and CEO Pawan Chandana said Vikram-I’s solid-fuel first stage eliminates the need for a full-scale fuelling and countdown simulation before liftoff. Instead, the company has relied on an extensive ground qualification and testing programme to validate the rocket’s components and systems.

Why Vikram-I Does Not Require A Wet Dress Rehearsal

According to Chandana, the key difference between Vikram-I and liquid-propellant launch vehicles lies in the architecture of its first stage, or booster.

“The best part about our launch vehicle is that its first stage, or booster stage, uses solid fuel. Unlike liquid-fuel rockets, solid rocket motors cannot be test-fired on the launch pad before liftoff. Once the solid propellant is ignited, it burns to completion, so the first time it fires is during the actual launch,” Pawan said.

Since the solid propellant cannot be loaded and unloaded at the launch pad in the manner of liquid fuels, Vikram-I does not require the same fuelling rehearsal conducted before the launch of liquid-propellant rockets.

What Is A Wet Dress Rehearsal?

A wet dress rehearsal, commonly known as a WDR, is a pre-launch procedure conducted for rockets that use liquid propellants.

During the exercise, engineers load the launch vehicle with fuel and oxidiser and carry out a complete countdown sequence before stopping shortly before engine ignition.

The rehearsal allows mission teams to test fuelling systems, launch software, ground equipment and operational procedures before the actual launch.

SpaceX routinely conducts wet dress rehearsals and static fire tests for its Falcon 9 rockets ahead of major missions.

Vikram-I Relies On Ground Qualification Programme

Chandana said Vikram-I’s architecture makes a wet dress rehearsal unnecessary at the current stage of launch preparations.

“Because of this architecture, we do not require a wet dress rehearsal at this stage,” Chandana said.

“A wet dress rehearsal is typically conducted for liquid-fuel rockets to test fueling operations and countdown procedures, but our vehicle’s design makes that unnecessary at the moment,” he added.

Instead of conducting a full-scale launch pad rehearsal, Skyroot has carried out an extensive ground testing and qualification programme for the rocket.

According to the company, every component, subsystem and complete system of Vikram-I was individually tested and validated before undergoing integrated testing.

The rocket stages were transported to Sriharikota for final stacking and launch integration only after the qualification campaigns were completed.

Vikram-I Launch Marks Milestone For India’s Private Space Sector

Skyroot’s testing strategy is aimed at identifying and resolving technical issues before the rocket reaches the launch pad, reducing the requirement for additional integrated launch rehearsals.

The maiden Vikram-I mission represents a significant milestone for India’s growing private space industry.

Vikram-I is the first privately designed, developed and manufactured orbital rocket to be stacked on Isro’s First Launch Pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre.

The development highlights growing cooperation between India’s national space agency and private launch companies as the country expands commercial participation in its space sector.

A successful launch of Vikram-I would demonstrate India’s ability to develop indigenous commercial orbital launch vehicles and could create new opportunities for the country in the expanding global small satellite launch market.

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