US-based Reflect Orbital buys two dedicated launches from Skyroot Aerospace
ADVERTISEMENT
US-based space technology company Reflect Orbital has purchased two dedicated launches from Skyroot Aerospace, adding to the Indian startup’s commercial launch pipeline as it looks to serve global customers.
The launches will use Skyroot’s Vikram rockets, with the dedicated arrangement providing Reflect Orbital with greater certainty over launch schedules and mission requirements. The companies have not disclosed the value of the deal or the launch timelines.
Reflect Orbital is developing orbital mirrors designed to reflect sunlight towards specific locations on Earth. The company plans to use the technology to extend solar farms’ electricity generation beyond daylight hours and provide lighting for applications such as search-and-rescue operations.
“There’s a real launch capacity shortage right now. We’re excited to work with a new launch provider, Skyroot, to help ensure access to space,” said Ben Nowack, co-founder and CEO of Reflect Orbital.
The company said it was recently licensed by the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to operate its first spacecraft. It plans to continue working with astronomers, communities and regulators as it develops its technology.
Pawan Kumar Chandana, co-founder and CEO of Skyroot Aerospace, said the partnership would provide Reflect Orbital with launch schedule certainty and mission flexibility.
“Reflect Orbital represents the kind of ambitious global space mission the Vikram family is being built to serve. We are pleased to partner with Ben and the Reflect Orbital team across two dedicated launches,” Chandana said.
Skyroot looks to expand commercial launch business
Founded in 2018 by Chandana and Naga Bharath Daka, Skyroot is developing a family of launch vehicles under the Vikram brand for satellite deployment. The company sent its Vikram-S rocket to space in 2022, becoming the first Indian private company to do so, according to the company.
Skyroot has also said its Vikram-1 rocket successfully reached orbit on its maiden flight in July 2026, marking a milestone for India’s private space sector.
In May 2026, the company raised nearly $60 million at a valuation of $1.1 billion, making it India’s first space-tech unicorn, according to its announcement.
Skyroot Aerospace co-founders Pawan Kumar Chandana and Naga Bharath Daka were featured in Fortune India’s 40 Under 40 list for 2026. The duo founded the company in 2018 after leaving the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
This latest deal adds another international customer to Skyroot’s launch business, though the companies have not announced when the two missions will take place.