NYT hails India's space startups' journey under PM Modi
The report highlighted the startups in India with ambitious plans for capitalising on the burgeoning demand of small satellites in low Earth orbits.
The report highlighted the startups in India with ambitious plans for capitalising on the burgeoning demand of small satellites in low Earth orbits.
The Hyderabad-based company, backed by Singapore's sovereign wealth fund, GIC, says the $68 million it has raised will fund its next two launches. Skyroot has been in contact with more than 400 potential customers, it says.
Hyderabad-based space startup says it will now focus on its first orbital mission Vikram-1.
Australia continues to look at new ways to enhance its space collaboration with India, said the Head of the Australian Space Agency (ASA), Enrico Palermo, in his address to the international conference and exhibition.
The funding follows the Indian government's push to get the country's private sector to complement its state-run space programme known for its affordable launches and missions. India's unmanned Mars mission in 2014 cost only $74 million, less than the budget of the Hollywood space movie "Gravity".
At least 100 startups are active in the country's space sector building satellites, launch vehicles and even designing in-orbit refuellers for satellites that would otherwise have to be abandoned for want of fuel.
Satellite thrusters run on toxic compound hydrazine known to have a severe environmental impact, pushing space researchers to scout for eco-friendlier alternatives. Bellatrix’s recent testing of its green propulsion system also marks a key inflection point in the startup’s journey in building a space taxi system for satellites.
Top Agnikul officials met department of space (DoS) secretary and Isro Chairman, K Sivan, who assured all support from DoS for qualifying Agnikul launch vehicle systems.
Skyroot Aerospace has entered into an agreement with Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to use its expertise and access facilities to test and qualify its small rocket ahead of launch next year.
The Draft National Space Transportation Policy, 2020, unveiled early this week allows local private space technology companies to build or lease launch pads for the purpose of launching their rockets into space