Science News Roundup: India successfully launches first privately made rocket

Following is a summary of current science news briefs.

India successfully launches first privately made rocket

India successfully launched its first privately developed rocket, the Vikram-S, on Friday, a milestone in the country's effort to create a commercial space industry and to compete on cost. The 545-kg rocket, developed by space startup Skyroot, took off from the Indian space agency's launch site near Chennai and hit a peak altitude of 89.5 kilometers (km).