Chennai startup to demonstrate in-orbit satellite refuelling technology
A Chennai-based startup, OrbitAid Aerospace, will launch AyulSAT on a PSLV mission to demonstrate in-orbit satellite refuelling technology. The mission aims to extend satellite lifespan, reduce space debris and lay the foundation for India’s on-orbit servicing economy
New Delhi: A Chennai-based space startup is all set to demonstrate its technology that would allow refuelling of satellites orbiting the Earth, extending their lifespan and helping address the challenge of space debris.
OrbitAid Aerospace is set to launch AyulSAT, a dedicated tanker satellite, onboard the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) on Monday to perform internal propellant transfer, power transfer and data transfer using its Standard Interface for Docking and Refuelling Port (SIDRP).
“We will first demonstrate the transfer of fuel from one tank to another within the satellite,” Sakthikumar Ramachandran, founder and CEO of OrbitAID, told PTI.
Sakthikumar said AyulSAT will be India’s first commercial docking and refuelling interface deployed in orbit.
“We will soon have fuel stations in orbit that will enable life extension of satellites, both in low Earth and geosynchronous orbits,” he said.
Sakthikumar said later this year OrbitAID will launch another satellite — the designated chaser satellite — that will dock with AyulSAT and demonstrate actual refuelling of satellites in orbit.
“AyulSAT will also now serve as the target satellite for our first Rendezvous Proximity Operations and Docking (RPOD) mission, with the launch of our chaser satellite by the end of 2026,” Sakthikumar said.
India will be the fourth country to demonstrate in-orbit refuelling of satellites and the AyulSAT mission will lay the foundation of the on-orbit economy, where satellites are serviced, refuelled and sustained.
According to OrbitAID, AyulSAT will enable satellite life extension, reduce orbital debris, and support long-duration commercial and human spaceflight.
“The mission also directly advances India’s Debris-Free Space Mission 2030 and lays the foundation for an on-orbit economy built on servicing, refuelling and maintenance,” the space start-up said.