New Delhi, June 11 (IANS). Government agency Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Center (IN-SPACE) on Thursday selected three Indian space startups — Astrobase Space Technologies, SatSure Analytics India and TM2Space Technologies — for financial assistance under its Technology Adoption Fund (TAF) scheme.
According to an official statement, these three startups have been selected as the first group of Indian Non-Government Space Institutions (NGEs) to receive funding under the scheme.
These startups will be provided financial assistance to develop transformative space technologies that will help strengthen India’s indigenous capabilities and enhance its competitiveness in the global space sector.
Bengaluru-based space startup Astrobase Space Technologies Pvt Ltd has been awarded the task of developing 800 kilonewton capacity high-thrust closed-cycle liquid rocket engine for space launch vehicles.
This reusable LOX-LNG rocket engine will be designed for medium and heavy capacity launch vehicles with high efficiency and modular structure. It will serve as a commercial propulsion solution for next generation launch systems and orbital stages.
At the same time, Bengaluru-based space analytics company SatSure Analytics India Private Limited will develop a large Earth Observation Model (LOM) named ‘Dharini’.
It will be designed as a foundational Artificial Intelligence (AI) platform for India’s remote sensing applications.
Trained on various satellite and aerial data sets, the model will provide useful insights in sectors like agriculture, infrastructure and disaster management, helping in data-driven decision making at the national level.
Hyderabad-based TM2Space Technologies Pvt Ltd will develop indigenous AI-powered star tracker system for satellites.
The system will provide high-resolution imaging and precision navigation capabilities required for communications missions.
Under this project, ‘StarSense Lite’ for small satellites and ‘StarSense Pro’ for satellites weighing more than 50 kg will be developed, providing highly accurate navigation capabilities using advanced optics, electronics and onboard algorithms.
These startups were selected after a rigorous multi-stage evaluation process.
The selection committee included experts from Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Department of Science and Technology (DST), industry, academic institutions and IN-SPACE.
The statement said that out of the many proposals received, these three startups have been selected on the basis of their being in line with the objectives and criteria of the Technology Adoption Fund Scheme.
IN-Space has called upon Indian companies to send proposals in line with this scheme in future also.
Dr. Pawan Goenka, Chairman, IN-Space, said the fund will help bridge the significant gap that exists between early-stage development and commercial success.
“These are not just innovative ideas, but practical and market-ready solutions that will increase India’s share in the global space economy,” he said.
According to the statement, IN-Space will continue to provide technical guidance, monitoring and release of financial assistance to the selected projects in a phased manner, to ensure successful implementation of these projects.
–IANS
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