India's space startups exploring niche markets, global collaborations

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

India becoming a signatory to the Artemis Accords and the focus on the space sector, particularly on addressing issues related to export control and technology transfer, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent visit to the US will open up doors for private players, industry leaders believe. Since India opened up its space sector in 2020, more than 150 start-ups have come up in areas such as building rockets and satellites, setting up astronaut training facilities and exploring possibilities for space tourism.

«It is a good start, because it was unheard of for the US to supply any space or defence-related technology 10-15 years ago. It was a taboo.

Now, we are talking of working together in sunrise sectors,» Manastu Space co-founder Tushar Jadhav told PTI. Mumbai-based Manastu is developing green propulsion systems for satellites and hopes to validate its technology during a test flight in the coming year.

It is also designing a fuel station in space to provide in-orbit refuelling service for satellites which otherwise have to be abandoned after the on-board fuel is exhausted. Director General, Indian Space Association, Lt Gen A K Bhatt (retd), said, «Many technologies in the space sector are dual use technologies, but this is an indication that now there will be easing of processes for this.» In November last year, Hyderabad-based Skyroot Aerospace wrote its name in spacefaring history with the successful launch of its Vikram-S rocket, the first privately built space rocket in India, within four years of its founding.

The company, founded by former scientists and engineers from ISRO, is now developing three variants of the Vikram series of rockets to put small satellites in orbit. «The kind of work that is being