Reflect Orbital, a California-based startup, has purchased two launches from India's Skyroot Aerospace, according to Ars Technica's Rocket Report. One launch will use Skyroot's Vikram-1 rocket, which became the first privately developed Indian rocket to reach orbit in July, while the other will fly on an upgraded version called the Vikram-1U.
The company's business model involves flying a constellation of some 50,000 mirrors in orbit to beam sunlight to the ground for power generation and illumination. Its first satellite is slated to launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rideshare next year, and the FCC has already approved its first in-space mirror satellite.
The move shines a light on what satellite operators fear is a coming under-supply of launch capacity in the United States as SpaceX phases out the Falcon 9 in favor of the much larger, but relatively unproven, Starship. Separately, the report notes that Colorado startup LEAP is aiming to enter the dedicated small-satellite launch market in 2028 with its Bighorn rocket, which is designed for mass production to meet growing demand for access to orbit.