India’s First Privately Built Hall Thruster Tested By Bellatrix Aerospace

• ByStartupStory     |    May 28, 2021

Country’s first privately built Hall Thruster, tested by spacetech startup Bellatrix Aerospace. They are working towards flying this hall thruster on a satellite mission in the coming months, which it expects will open the space transportation company’s gateway to the commercial market by the end of this year, the startup said, adding that this hall thruster also forms a critical technology for the space taxi that it is developing.

Hall Thruster, a highly efficient electric propulsion system that’s ideal for micro-satellites weighing 50-500 kg and can be scaled up for heavier satellites. The hall thruster technology is, today, the most reliable and time tested electric propulsion system in the market.

“With this addition to our portfolio, we are in a position to offer best-in-class electric propulsion systems. We have designed this thruster with numerous considerations that make it an ideal engine to power the major satellite constellations that will be launched during this decade. Our Microwave Plasma Thrusters offer the highest thrust-to-power ratio for heavier satellites”, says Bellatrix CEO and CTO Rohan M Ganapthy.

The startup is working on other proprietary propellants that can make the propulsion system more compact and cost-efficient.

Follow Startup Story