PM Modi's Handwritten Vande Mataram Note Travels to Space Aboard Vikram-1
Modi's postcard was among the mission's most symbolic payloads, travelling alongside handwritten messages from Skyroot Aerospace's employees, investors, policymakers, scientists and well-wishers from India and abroad
A handwritten note from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, bearing the words "Vande Mataram," travelled into space on Saturday aboard Skyroot Aerospace's Vikram-1, as the rocket successfully reached low Earth orbit under Mission Aagaman.
The mission marked the first time an Indian private company attempted to place satellites into orbit using a launch vehicle of its own making, lifting off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. It came three years after Skyroot's suborbital Vikram-S flight in 2022.
Ahead of the launch, Modi had described it as a "historic new frontier for India's space journey." In a congratulatory phone call to the Skyroot team, he framed the mission in patriotic terms. "In a way, I see your mission as a 'Vande Mataram' mission—to take the glory of Mother India to new heights, to harness the benefits of new-age technology, and to inspire the younger generation to pursue technology," Modi told the team.
In a separate post on X, the Prime Minister called the launch a "defining moment in India's space journey," pointing to the rising role of private enterprise in the sector. He said the growing participation of Indian companies was opening new frontiers and speeding up innovation, adding that he was confident the achievement would push more young people to dream bigger and innovate without fear.
Modi's postcard was among the mission's most symbolic payloads, travelling alongside handwritten messages from Skyroot Aerospace's employees, investors, policymakers, scientists and well-wishers from India and abroad.
