Space tech startup Bellatrix Aerospace is set to test its propulsion technology aboard an Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) rocket, the PSLV-C55, on April 22. The technology is designed to guide satellites to their intended destinations. Hyderabad-based space tech startup Dhruva Space will also have payloads on the same rocket, marking its second launch in just six months.
The payloads from both companies will be situated on the PSLV Orbital Experimental Module-2 (POEM-2), a module that uses the PS4 stage to conduct in-orbit experiments once all the satellites have been deployed. NSIL, the commercial arm of ISRO, confirmed that the payloads would be activated once all satellites had been deployed.
Dhruva Space’s payloads will consist of its DSOD-3U and DSOD-6U deployer units, alongside the DSOL-Transceiver in S- & X- bands. Meanwhile, Bellatrix Aerospace will test-launch its Hall effect thruster (HET)-based ARKA200 Electric Propulsion System. This particular HET is propelled by the power available on satellites and is one of four thrusters that Bellatrix has been developing. The other three are microwave plasma thrusters, nano thrusters, and green propulsion systems.
Bellatrix Aerospace tested a HET thruster at the Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru in 2021, achieving successful results. Additionally, PSLV- C55’s POEM-2 will include experimental payloads from the Indian Institute of Astrophysics and the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST).
Satellite propulsion systems are essential for maintaining satellites’ orbits throughout their entire lifespan, which typically ranges from 10-15 years. By testing their technology on a rocket launch, Bellatrix Aerospace and Dhruva Space are taking the necessary steps towards developing cutting-edge propulsion technology that will advance space exploration and research.
