On October 14th (Beijing time), US space technology company Reflect Orbital announced that it had purchased two dedicated rocket launch services from Indian private space company Skyroot Aerospace to deploy its orbital reflector satellite, which is currently under development. The first launch will use Skyroot's Vikram-1 rocket, while the second launch will use the still-under-development Vikram-1U rocket. Reflect Orbital plans to use the satellite's onboard reflector to reflect sunlight back to a designated area on Earth, extending the power generation time of solar power plants and providing lighting for nighttime search and rescue and construction operations. The company stated that there is currently a supply shortage of commercial space launch capacity globally, hence the selection of an Indian launch service provider to ensure satellite deployment. Skyroot's Vikram-1 rocket successfully completed its first orbital flight in July of this year. The contract amount and specific launch dates have not yet been disclosed.
