Vikram-1 to Carry Tiny Tributes to Indian Science Icons
Micro sculptures of C.V. Raman, Vikram Sarabhai and A.P.J. Abdul Kalam to fly aboard Skyroot Aerospace's maiden orbital mission
- Vikram-1 will carry microscopic sculptures of three Indian scientific legends.
- Artist Ajay Kumar Mattewada created the 0.8 mm sculptures.
- The artworks passed space qualification tests before launch.
- Mission blends India’s achievements in art, science and private spaceflight.
GG News Bureau
Hyderabad, 17th July: Skyroot Aerospace’s maiden orbital launch vehicle, Vikram-1, is set to carry microscopic sculptures of Nobel laureate C.V. Raman, space pioneer Vikram Sarabhai and former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam during its inaugural mission from Sriharikota on Saturday.
Created by Telangana-based micro artist Ajay Kumar Mattewada, each sculpture measures just 800 microns (0.8 mm), making them smaller than a grain of rice and invisible to the naked eye.
The sculptures have been mounted inside the eye of a sewing needle and enclosed in a miniature rocket made of 18-carat gold. The assembly has successfully cleared vibration, thermal and environmental qualification tests before being integrated into a protective payload housing aboard Vikram-1.
Mattewada, a Warangal-based artist known for creating miniature artworks inside needle eyes, spent nearly 140 hours crafting the three sculptures using stainless steel, silver, 24-carat gold, ceramic powder and carbon fibre particles.
Calling the mission the highest honour of his four-decade artistic career, the artist said the launch is a tribute to three generations of Indian scientific leadership that shaped modern India.
Vikram-1, named after Dr Vikram Sarabhai, is Skyroot Aerospace’s first privately developed orbital launch vehicle designed to place satellites into orbit. The rocket features three solid propulsion stages, a liquid upper stage, carbon composite structures, miniaturised avionics and a 3D-printed engine.
If successful, the mission will also mark the first time an Indian rocket carries micro art into space, combining scientific innovation with artistic expression in a milestone for India’s growing private space sector.
