# FM Sitharaman hails India’s first flight-proven satellite battery 2026-08-08T06:55:29+00:00 | Technology | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman praised Hyderabad startup TakeMe2Space for developing India's first indigenously produced satellite battery to achieve flight heritage status. The 'PowerBank-50' successfully operated aboard Skyroot Aerospace's Vikram-1 rocket during its maiden 'Aagaman' mission on July 18, powering a payload at 450 km altitude. Until now, Indian satellite makers largely imported such batteries at high cost and with long delays. The flight heritage qualification validates the battery's in-orbit performance, boosting confidence among manufacturers and insurers. The compact lithium-ion unit stores over 50 watt-hours, weighs 380 grams, and is built for five-year CubeSat and microsatellite missions. TakeMe2Space says the milestone will cut import dependence and make satellite development cheaper for startups and research bodies. ## Coverage - thehansindia.com Tags: flight heritage, Make in India, satellite battery, Sitharaman, space, startup Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/fm-sitharaman-hails-indias-first-flight-proven-satellite-battery/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/fm-sitharaman-hails-indias-first-flight-proven-satellite-battery/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.