New Delhi, July 17 -- India's private space sector is preparing for a major milestone as Skyroot Aerospace gets ready to conduct the maiden test flight of Vikram-1, its first orbital-class launch vehicle.

The launch is scheduled for July 18 at 11:30 am from the first launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. The mission, named Aagaman, will mark the first attempt by a privately designed and developed orbital-class rocket to lift off from Indian soil.

Authorities have issued the necessary airspace and maritime notices, identifying restricted zones along the rocket's ascent and impact corridor for the launch window.

Skyroot has described the mission as a developmental test flight intended to validate Vikram-1's systems...