SRIHARIKOTA: As Vikram-1 creates history, industry leaders are looking beyond the maiden flight to what they believe is the bigger prize—a larger share of the rapidly expanding global commercial launch market.The next decade is expected to witness a surge in satellite launches as governments and private companies deploy constellations for broadband internet, earth observation, communications, defence, navigation, internet-of-things and climate monitoring. As a result, access to launch vehicles has become both an economic opportunity and a strategic asset.SpaceX currently dominates the global commercial launch market, but booming demand has created long waiting lists and limited flexibility for many satellite operators. That presents an opening for emerging launch providers such as Skyroot Aerospace.Dr G Satheesh Reddy, member of the National Security Advisory Board and former chairman of DRDO, said Vikram-1’s success could trigger the next phase of growth for India’s private space industry and strengthen the country’s standing in the global launch market.“We’ll be able to position satellites from all over the world into space launched from India,” he said. Reddy added that India had the opportunity not merely to participate in the global launch market but to capture a meaningful share of it.
