Reflect Orbital, a California startup building spacecraft that beam sunlight to Earth after dark, has locked in two dedicated rocket launches with Skyroot Aerospace, the Hyderabad-based launch provider.
The deal, announced October 14, gives Reflect Orbital guaranteed schedules and payload capacity beyond what it can secure from US launch sites. The startup faces a launch supply crunch that has squeezed many satellite operators.
Reflect Orbital plans to orbit mirrors capable of redirecting sunlight onto chosen ground locations. Potential uses include nighttime search-and-rescue missions and extending clean energy production at solar farms.
“There’s a real launch capacity shortage right now,” said co-founder and CEO Ben Nowack. He pointed to Skyroot as a reliable partner for the company’s growing mission manifest.
Nowack confirmed his company recently obtained a Federal Communications Commission license to operate its first spacecraft. Engagement with astronomers, regulators, and local communities will continue as operations scale.
Meanwhile, Skyroot co-founder and CEO Pawan Kumar Chandana framed the collaboration as evidence of the Vikram rocket family’s flexibility. He said the vehicles can accommodate diverse customer requirements.
Neither company disclosed specific launch dates or financial terms.
Skyroot’s Vikram-1 made history in July 2026 as the first privately developed Indian rocket to reach orbit on its initial attempt. The company later became India’s first spacetech unicorn in May 2026, raising nearly $60 million at a $1.1 billion valuation.
As Reflect Orbital advances toward on-orbit testing, the partnership signals growing cross-border demand for Indian launch services.
