Reflect Orbital buys two launch slots from Indian firm Skyroot

California-based startup Reflect Orbital has purchased two launch contracts from Indian rocket maker Skyroot Aerospace. The transaction, reported by Payload Space, secures capacity for Reflect Orbital, a company developing in-space mirrors to provide sunlight on demand. One of the missions is scheduled to fly on Skyroot's Vikram-1 rocket. This vehicle holds the distinction of being the first privately developed Indian rocket to reach orbit, a milestone achieved in July. The second mission will utilize an upgraded version of the launcher named Vikram-1U. The announcement arrives as attention in the space sector turns toward Japan's Martian Moons Exploration mission. That spacecraft, set to launch aboard a Japanese H3 rocket as soon as Monday US time, will visit the Mars moons Phobos and Deimos. It plans to deploy a rover and collect specimens for return to Earth in 2031.