Now Reading: FM Sitharaman hails India’s first flight-proven satellite battery
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FM Sitharaman hails India’s first flight-proven satellite battery
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…
The Story in Brief
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.
The Indian Opinion
This is a quiet but meaningful step for India's space ecosystem, often overshadowed by grand launch spectacles. The usual narrative that India lags in space components may need recalibration: a startup has delivered a critical, flight-proven subsystem that was previously imported. The real test will come when cost and procurement data emerge, does the indigenous battery actually undercut imported alternatives? If it does, it will open doors for many more Indian-made parts in orbit.
Source: thehansindia.com
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