Now Reading: World’s first lab-grown diamond jewel reaches space on Vikram-1
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World’s first lab-grown diamond jewel reaches space on Vikram-1
The world's first lab-grown diamond jewel has reached space aboard Vikram-1, India's first privately built orbital launch vehicle, developed by Hyderabad-based Skyroot Aerospace. The payload, called the Cosmos Bloom Diamond, was handcrafted…
The Story in Brief
The world's first lab-grown diamond jewel has reached space aboard Vikram-1, India's first privately built orbital launch vehicle, developed by Hyderabad-based Skyroot Aerospace. The payload, called the Cosmos Bloom Diamond, was handcrafted by Bengaluru start-up Cosmos Diamonds in gold and set with 16.9 carats of lab-grown diamonds, shaped like a lotus.
The jewel underwent more than 100 design sketches and 11 production iterations over a year, with multiple metals tested to withstand launch conditions. It received approvals from Skyroot and IN-SPACe, the government's space regulator. The Cosmos Bloom Diamond was one of six payloads on the mission, which also included Earth observation, solar study and debris capture experiments.
The Indian Opinion
This mission will be hailed as a triumph of private Indian innovation, but it also raises questions about priorities. Sending a luxury jewel to space is a clever publicity stunt for both Skyroot and Cosmos Diamonds, but the real test is whether such collaborations lead to sustained economic activity or remain marketing gimmicks. The other payloads, solar research, debris capture, do real science. What concrete technology or market outcomes will this diamond produce?
Sources (2): thehindu.com, businesstoday.in
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
