India and Brazil are exploring the joint development of a satellite launch vehicle capable of carrying payloads weighing at least 100 kg into low Earth orbit (LEO). The initiative aims to strengthen space cooperation between the two countries and expand their presence in the growing small-satellite launch market.

The partnership was formalised through a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed in October between India's Skyroot Aerospace and Concert Technologies, a member of Brazil's Micro Launcher Program consortium, Brasil 247 reported.

Concert Space CEO Rafael Mordente signed the MoU during the International Astronautical Congress 2026 in Antalya, Türkiye. Brazilian Senator and astronaut Marcos Pontes and Brazilian Space Agency President Marco Antonio Chamon attended the ceremony.

The proposed launch vehicle aims to fill the gap between Brazil's Micro Launcher Program, designed to carry payloads of up to 40 kg, and Skyroot's larger Vikram rocket family.

The partnership will assess the development of a more powerful launch system. It will also explore the possibility of conducting launches from equatorial locations.

Founded in 2018, Hyderabad-based Skyroot Aerospace is one of the leading private players in India's expanding space industry. In 2022, it became the first Indian private company to launch a rocket into space with its Vikram-S mission. Its subsequent orbital launch achievement with Vikram-1 in July 2026 marked another major milestone for India's private space sector.

Meanwhile, Brazil's consortium aims to develop the country's first privately led small-satellite launch vehicle. It brings together companies specialising in propulsion, navigation and control systems.

Under the two-year MoU, both sides will evaluate technical requirements, commercial opportunities and potential cooperation in satellite systems and low Earth orbit constellations.

However, the agreement only establishes a framework for exploring the partnership. The companies will need separate agreements to finalise investments, equipment supplies and commercialisation plans.

The latest initiative builds on more than two decades of space cooperation between India and Brazil. A key milestone in their partnership was the launch of Brazil's Amazônia-1 satellite using India's launch infrastructure.