New Delhi: Thirteen years ago, well before the Indian Space Policy opened the doors for private players, the idea of Bellatrix Aerospace was floated by its founders, with limitless dreams and a recommendation letter from former president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. The Bengaluru-based space startup is now challenging world leaders in sustainable space technology and green propulsion, making space travel cleaner and greener.
In an exclusive interview with ThePrint, Bellatrix Aerospace co-founder Yashas Karanam said the company’s goal is to promote sustainable and green space technology, making space missions more viable in the future.
In 2015, Yashas Karanam, along with co-founder Rohan M. Ganapathy, established Bellatrix Aerospace, named after the Bellatrix star in the Orion constellation.
“Traditionally, if you look at propulsion for satellites, we only had chemical propulsion. The problem with chemical propulsion is that the fuel used has a toxic chemical called hydrazine, which is extremely dangerous,” Karanam said.
Alternatives to the ‘toxic’ hydrazine
Hydrazine is a popular propellant used in fuels and oxidisers to create thrust, with all major space agencies using it.
Over the years, it has proved its dependability. However, innovations are now replacing it in the field of space technology, considering the toxicity of hydrazine, as well as the risks in handling it.
In 2019, four years after the official launch of Bellatrix Aerospace in India, Elon Musk’s SpaceX launched its Falcon Heavy rocket with AF-M315E, a green monopropellant developed by the United States Air Force Research Laboratory under the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Green Propulsion Programme.
Since then, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Swedish private company ECAPS, now a part of Bradford Space, have also conducted tests for alternatives to hydrazine.
For India, Bellatrix Aerospace has taken on this challenge.
The firm has developed a fuel composition, which, it claims, is “completely green”. Karnam emphasises handling it with bare hands, as when handling water. It is the “fuel of the future”, he believes.
Earlier this year, Bellatrix Aerospace successfully tested its propulsion package, Rudra 1N, a green mono-propellant system featuring a fully integrated package, during the Indian Space Research Organisation’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle-C60 Orbital Experimental Module, or POEM-4 mission.
It was the company’s third consecutive successful propulsion firing in orbit, and the mission solidified its position at the forefront of sustainable and high-performance space technology.
Developing this Indian-made green propellant had its share of hurdles.
“There have been challenges. You cannot just develop something in a small batch and call it green. You have to have a solid plan to scale it up and ensure that there are no contaminants while you do so,” Karnam said.
Future for Indian space startups
When Bellatrix Aerospace began operations, Karnam says there were only about three space startups, and nobody was building their technology. But things are changing now.
According to Karnam, the scenario for Indian space technology startups improved after the government formed IN-SPACe, an autonomous, single-window agency that enables private participation in the Indian space sector, in 2020.
The notification of the new Space Policy in 2023 also helped clarify the role of private players in a field earlier monopolised by ISRO.
“Today, there are about 300 companies in India, and all 300 companies are working towards building their own products,” Karnam said.
(Edited by Madhurita Goswami)