Wanted by ISRO: Seeking on-orbit servicing and refuelling tech companies

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is extending an invite to companies specialising in on-orbit servicing and refuelling (OOSR) technologies, said chairman Dr V. Narayanan on 17 September, 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, in Bengaluru.

The facility, spanning 6,500 sq ft, with an investment of over $2 million, aims to extend lifetime refuelling services to current and upcoming satellites, of both Indian and foreign/global origin.

Congratulating the OrbitAID team on their achievement, Narayanan emphasised “the importance of developing technologies such as docking and refuelling 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 pperations and docking (RPOD) infrastructure to support such servicing and refuelling 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 satellites. 

OrbitAID’s new R&D centre also represents a significant step in India’s journey towards space sustainability as a global player, after the success of ISRO’s own SPADeX mission. In January, with the successful docking of the SpaDEX satellites, 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 refuelling 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 and CEO, OrbitAID.

OrbitAID, which raised its initial funding earlier this year from Unicorn India Ventures, is also planning to expand its footprint to Tamil Nadu, where the company will establish a manufacturing facility to build India’s first private propellant handling and satellite servicing hub, facilitating a circular economy for the global space tech ecosystem. 

The company is also looking to strengthen its collaborations with local universities, startups and global partners to support its endeavours.