Hyderabad's Skyroot Aerospace wins US-based Reflect Orbital’s 2 dedicated rocket contracts to launch space mirrors

Hyderabad-based private space startup Skyroot Aerospace has won a major contract with US-based Reflect Orbital for two dedicated rocket launches. Skyroot Aerospace wins US-based Reflect Orbital’s 2 dedicated rocket contracts Fresh off its successful Vikram-1 flight in July 2026, Skyroot will help Reflect Orbital send "space mirrors" into orbit, which would bounce sunlight back to Earth, helping during nighttime emergencies. Reflect Orbital has purchased two dedicated launches from Skyroot Aerospace, though the value of the deal or the launch timelines have not been disclosed. The American startup is developing orbital mirrors to reflect sunlight towards specific locations on Earth. The company intends 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,” Reflect Orbital co-founder and CEO Ben Nowack said, adding that Skyroot Aerospace would help ensure their satellites’ access to space. He further shared that the company was recently licensed by the Federal Communications Commission to operate its first spacecraft and would continue engagement with astronomers, communities and regulators. “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,” Pawan Kumar Chandana, co-founder and CEO of Skyroot Aerospace, said. About Skyroot Aerospace Founded in 2018 by Chandana and Naga Bharath Daka, the Hyderabad space startup is developing a family of launch vehicles under the Vikram brand for satellite deployment. After sending its Vikram-S rocket to space in 2022, it became the first Indian private company to do so. Skyroot’s Vikram-1 rocket successfully reaching orbit on its maiden flight in July 2026 marked a milestone for India’s private space sector. In May 2026, the startup raised nearly $60 million at a valuation of $1.1 billion, becoming India’s first space-tech unicorn, according to its announcement. Incidentally, 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 Hyderabad company in 2018 after exiting the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).