Aagaman.

 PM Narendra Modi makes a telephonic call to team #Vikram1 (Skyroot Aerospace) for the successful launch of India’s first private orbital rocket under #MissionAagaman.

India's first successful orbital rocket launch took place on 18 July 1980, when ISRO's Satellite Launch Vehicle-3 (SLV-3) lifted off from Sriharikota and successfully placed the Rohini (RS-1) satellite into Low Earth Orbit. This historic achievement made India the sixth nation in the world capable of launching and placing a satellite into orbit using its own indigenous rocket. 

ISRO 

A few highlights:

Rocket: SLV-3 (Satellite Launch Vehicle-3)

Launch date: 18 July 1980

Launch site: Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh

Payload: Rohini RS-1 satellite (about 35 kg)

Project Director: A. P. J. Abdul Kalam

Significance: Marked India's entry into the league of spacefaring nations and laid the foundation for later launch vehicles such as ASLV, PSLV, GSLV, and LVM3. 

Interestingly, 18 July 2026, exactly 46 years later, marked another milestone: Skyroot Aerospace successfully launched Vikram-1, India's first privately developed orbital rocket, opening a new chapter in the country's space journey. 

The two launches beautifully bookend India's space story:

1980: India proved it could reach orbit on its own.

2026: Indian private enterprise proved it could do the same, signaling the maturation of India's space ecosystem.