India’s First Private Rocket Could Be Launched Between November 12 and 16
India’s first privately developed rocket – Vikram-S – is set for a launch between November 12 and 16, Hyderabad-based space startup Skyroot Aerospace announced on Tuesday.
The maiden mission of Skyroot Aerospace, named ‘Prarambh’ (the beginning), will carry three customer payloads and is set for launch from the Indian Space Research Organisation’s launchpad at Sriharikota.
“A launch window between November 12 and 16 has been notified by authorities, the final date being confirmed based on weather conditions,” Skyroot Aerospace CEO and co-founder Pawan Kumar Chandana said.
With this mission, Skyroot Aerospace is set to become the first private space company in India to launch a rocket into space, heralding a new era for the space sector which was opened up in 2020 to facilitate private sector participation.
“The Vikram-S rocket is a single-stage sub-orbital launch vehicle which would carry three customer payloads and help test and validate the majority of the technologies in the Vikram series of space launch vehicles,” Naga Bharath Daka, Chief Operating Officer of Skyroot Aerospace, said in a statement.
Chandana said Skyroot could build and get the Vikram-S rocket mission-ready in such a short time only because of the invaluable support from ISRO and IN-SPACe (Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre).
Skyroot’s launch vehicles are named ‘Vikram’ as a tribute to the founder of the Indian space programme and renowned scientist Vikram Sarabhai.
Based in Hyderabad, Skyroot builds state-of-the-art space launch vehicles for launching commercial satellites to space. It aims to disrupt entry barriers to cost-efficient satellite launch services and space-flight by advancing its mission to make spaceflights affordable, reliable and regular for all, the statement said.
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The Axiom-4 mission, which will carry Indian payload specialist Shubhanshu Shukla, was delayed yet again due to a propellant leak in the Falcon 9 rocket. SpaceX, the company behind the mission, also confirmed that a liquid oxygen (LOx) leak was detected in post-static fire testing, which tests the rocket while it’s still attached to the launch pad. Initially targeted for May 29, the mission has faced successive delays, the latest pushing the launch further from its recent 11 June schedule. ISRO scientists have mentioned the issue may delay liftoff by “another few days” depending on repair progress and safety validations.
LOx Leak in Falcon 9 Forces Fourth Delay of Axiom-4 Mission with India’s Shubhanshu Shukla
As per a statement from SpaceX, the LOx leak was identified after the static fire booster test, prompting the team to stand down from the latest launch window. According to The Print, ISRO officials said that an LOx issue this close to launch generally requires the rocket to be pulled back for thorough inspection. However, the ISRO team, unfamiliar with SpaceX’s proprietary systems, refrained from commenting on specific technical procedures, the publication said. The first signs of the leak were reportedly detected on 8 June.
Falcon 9’s Merlin engines rely on LOx (liquid oxygen), along with RP-1 (rocket-grade kerosene), as an oxidiser to propel the vehicle. During static fire tests, the engines are briefly ignited to validate their performance. Detection systems, including oxygen sensors and thermal imaging, help identify leaks in these stages. The Ax-4 mission had already been rescheduled multiple times — initially from 29 May to 8 June, then to 10 June, and again to 11 June — due to weather concerns.
SpaceX vice president Bill Gerstenmaier told reporters during a pre-launch briefing that a solution was underway. “We’re putting in a purge that will stop the leak,” he mentioned, adding that the problem was under control. Still, the ultimate launch date is up in the air and will rely on the results of continuing safety assessments.
Axiom Space is in charge of the project, a major step for India’s human spaceflight program. It features Shubhanshu Shukla as part of a commercial crew going to the International Space Station. Technical problems are common in space operations, but this fourth delay shows how hard it is to make sure that everything is perfect for crewed missions to take off.
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In a landmark survey, University of Newcastle researchers mapped a previously hidden koala population on the outskirts of Newcastle, NSW. The study estimated about 4,357 koalas across roughly 67,300 hectares of bushland (208 sites). They also found more than 290 koalas in Sugarloaf State Conservation Area, a region with few prior records. Local researcher Daryn McKenny, who grew up nearby and first reported seeing a koala there years ago, contributed his knowledge and sightings to the project. The findings show koalas can survive – and even thrive – in peri-urban forests, underscoring the need to protect these fringe habitats.
Hidden Koalas on Newcastle’s Fringe
According to the study, the survey estimated 4,357 koalas in 208 bushland sites around Newcastle. Lead author Shelby Ryan said that the drone surveys allowed the team to find koalas within minutes in areas that had taken hours on foot. Seven national parks were sampled (about 10% of each) with multiple night surveys, and a statistical model extrapolated these counts across the landscape. Maria National Park had the highest density (about 521 koalas per 3,350 hectares), while fire-affected parks from the 2019-20 fires hosted roughly two-thirds fewer koalas.
Survey Methods and Conservation Implications
Thermal imaging revealed koalas as yellow hotspots, which were then confirmed by a spotlight to identify the animal. The team used a statistical model accounting for terrain slope, tree coverage, and soil moisture to extrapolate koala numbers across the landscape. University of Newcastle’s Dr. Ryan Witt said that this model can even extend estimates to private or otherwise inaccessible lands that were not directly surveyed.
WWF-Australia – which co-funded the work – hailed the findings as critical for its goal of doubling koala numbers by 2050, noting that accurate abundance estimates are the “holy grail” of koala conservation.
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