Hyderabad startup test fires India’s first hydrogen-oxygen propulsion engine

Hyderabad: Spacetech startup Stardour, a stealth-mode startup based out of Hyderabad, announced on Monday that it successfully test fired India’s first hydrogen and oxygen propulsion engine, which it developed in-house.

The sustainable engine, tested at the Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru, will power Stardour’s flagship next-generation orbital transfer vehicle (OTV) called Lucas.

The startup, established in 2020 and led by former ISRO scientist Rama Rao, expects the maiden launch of Lucas in the third quarter of 2027. Lucas is designed to carry out scientific and commercial expeditions across low Earth orbit (LEO), geostationary orbit (GEO), as well as the Moon and Mars, among others.

An OTV is essentially a space tug that transports payloads such as satellites from one orbit to another, from a launch vehicle’s drop-off point to the final orbit. It can also perform other tasks like orbit changes, orbital refuelling, spacecraft repair, life extension services, and debris removal.

“This successful test fire is not just a technical milestone, it’s a signal to the world that India is ready to lead in the new era of sustainable and autonomous in-space logistics,” said Stardour director Rama Rao.

According to IISc professor Pratikash Panda, the successful test-firing of Stardour’s hydrogen-oxygen engine is a testament to the Indian startup’s commitment to green propulsion technology and innovation in reusable spacecraft.

The bootstrapped startup, founded by Sankarsh Chanda, is working on green propulsion, orbital mobility, and deep-space exploration.