The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will invite companies specialising in on-orbit servicing and Refueling tech (OOSR), said Chairman Dr. V. Narayanan on Wednesday.He was speaking at the inauguration of the new R&D facility of OrbitAID Aerospace, India’s first space-tech startup in the field of OOSR, here.
The facility, spanning 6500 sq ft in Bengaluru with an investment of over $2 million, aims to extend the lifetime refueling services to current and upcoming satellites.Congratulating the OrbitAID team on their achievement, Narayanan emphasised “the importance of developing technologies such as docking and refueling interfaces and the significance of providing services such as life extension for satellites in shaping the future of India’s space ecosystem”.
“ISRO has recently opened up to private players in the space ecosystem and in the upcoming missions, the space organisation will also invite companies specialising in On-Orbit Servicing and Refueling (OOSR) technologies to work with it,” he added.
OrbitAID’s new R&D facility is India’s largest commercial and one of the world’s biggest for Rendezvous Proximity Operations and Docking (RPOD) infrastructure, for servicing and refueling operations.The facility consists of a high-end control room for operating the RPOD facility, a class 10,000 cleanroom, and fuel transfer facilities for assembling and integrating its satellites.
OrbitAID’s new R&D center also represents a significant step in India’s journey towards space sustainability at a global stage after the success of ISRO’s SPADeX mission.In January, with the successful docking of the satellites of the SpaDEX mission, India became the fourth nation to achieve space docking technology.
“The new facility begins a new story in OrbitAID’s journey in making India the champion of space sustainability at a global stage. With this new development and our TRL 7 docking and refueling interface SIDRP, we are positioned to provide life extension services for the current and upcoming satellites in both Indian and global markets,” said Sakthikumar Ramachandran, Founder & CEO, OrbitAID.
OrbitAID, which raised initial funding earlier this year from Unicorn India Ventures, is also planning to expand its footprint in Tamil Nadu, where the company will establish a manufacturing facility to build India’s first private propellant handling and satellite servicing hub to build a circular economy for the global space tech ecosystem. The company will strengthen collaborations with local universities, startups, and global partners.