Bellatrix Aerospace, has announced plans to test electric propulsion for satellites on-board India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).
The Bengaluru based space startup has successfully developed a cutting-edge electric propulsion system, that aims to help reduce the cost of satellite launches and improve their manoeuvrability while in space.
While speaking to PTI, Bellatrix Aerospace co-founder Yashas Karanam said, “It is something like taking this EV (electric vehicle) revolution to space, but actually, the technology is much more complex and very different from how we operate here.”
This system is called the “BHUVANESHWARI Electric Propulsion System,” which operates through electric power to ionise propellants and generate thrust, allowing satellites to move around and be stable in orbit.
Bellatrix Aerospace and ISRO have signed an agreement to conduct the test onboard a PSLV rocket. Bellatrix will be integrating its electric propulsion system into two small satellites that will be launched by the PSLV.
The test will showcase the viability of electric propulsion for small satellites and will pave the way for future missions that will make use of this technology. The electric propulsion system is expected to be more efficient and reliable than traditional chemical propulsion systems that have been using combustion to generate thrust.
Bellatrix is backed by the Indian government’s Department of Science and Technology and several private investors.
The test will take place in the second half of this year. The results will be closely watched by the space industry. If the test is successful, the electric propulsion system will emerge as a game-changer for the satellite industry and pave the way for new possibilities for space exploration.
With successful missions to the moon and Mars, India’s space programme has gained momentum in recent years.
