Warangal-based micro artist is set to create history as the first Indian whose artwork will travel into space. Ajay Kumar Mattewada’s miniature sculptures will fly aboard Skyroot Aerospace’s Vikram-1 rocket, celebrating India’s scientific legacy. (Image-Skyroot aerospace/global_indian_official)
Mattewada carved microscopic sculptures of Sir C.V. Raman, Dr Vikram Sarabhai and Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam inside the eye of a sewing needle. Each sculpture measures just 0.8 millimetres, smaller than a grain of rice. (Image-X/Skyroot aerospace)
Commissioned by Skyroot Aerospace, the intricate project took around 140 hours to complete between December 2023 and February 2026. The artist dedicated five to six hours every night, describing the journey as “burning the midnight oil.” (Image-Instagram/@Ajay Kumar Mattewada)
Designed to withstand the extreme conditions of a rocket launch, the artwork uses stainless steel, 24-karat gold, pure silver, ceramic powder and carbon fibre particles. The sculptures are mounted inside a miniature 18-karat gold rocket. (Image-Instagram/@Ajay Kumar Mattewada)
Weeks after being handed over to Skyroot Aerospace, the miniature artwork finally began its journey to space aboard Vikram-1, India’s first private orbital rocket. Although the launch was initially scheduled for 11:30 AM today, it was pushed to 12:05 PM due to a minor technical delay. The seven-storey rocket has now lifted off from Sriharikota on the Aagaman mission and is heading towards a 450-km Low Earth Orbit, carrying the historic microscopic sculptures beyond Earth. (Image-Space)
A skilled goldsmith from Telangana, Mattewada is among only three artists globally known for sculpting inside the eye of a needle. In 2004, he also earned a Limca Book of Records entry for creating the world’s smallest seven-levered gold lock. (Image-Instagram/@Ajay Kumar Mattewada)
Space has previously carried artworks like the Moon Museum and Fallen Astronaut. With Vikram-1, Ajay Kumar Mattewada’s microscopic sculptures are poised to become India’s first artistic contribution to travel beyond Earth, blending science, craftsmanship and national pride. (Image-Instagram/@global_indian_official)
