Now Reading: Astrobase unveils 800kN rocket engine ‘Everest’ for reusability
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Astrobase unveils 800kN rocket engine ‘Everest’ for reusability
Bengaluru-based space startup Astrobase Space Technologies on Friday unveiled 'Everest', what it calls India's first privately built 800kN Full-Flow Staged Combustion rocket engine. The liquid oxygen-methane engine is designed for medium-lift reusable…
The Story in Brief
Bengaluru-based space startup Astrobase Space Technologies on Friday unveiled 'Everest', what it calls India's first privately built 800kN Full-Flow Staged Combustion rocket engine. The liquid oxygen-methane engine is designed for medium-lift reusable launch vehicles, with a throttle range of 50% to 110% and a specific impulse of around 340 seconds.
The company plans to manufacture up to 50 engines annually and aims to hot-fire about 20 engines before its first orbital mission. IN-SPACe has provided support through its Technology Adoption Fund. The next milestone is a full-engine hot-fire test, followed by vehicle integration. The startup, founded in 2024, is developing propulsion and test infrastructure in Bengaluru.
The Indian Opinion
Astrobase's 'Everest' engine has been met with predictable boosterism about India leaping ahead in the space race. The reality is more measured: a full-flow staged combustion cycle is a complex architecture that even established players have struggled to master. The startup has yet to hot-fire even one engine, let alone demonstrate reusability. Numbers like '50 engines a year' and 'launch within 15 days' are targets, not achievements. The test to watch for is not the unveiling but the first full-duration hot-fire test. Until then, it is a claim on paper, not a capability in the air.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
