Astrobase’s 3Rs of rocket launches

Astrobase Space Technologies is building its EVEREST rocket engine using 'full-flow staged combustion' (FFSC) architecture, a design employed by only a few global companies. The engine, largely fabricated through 3D printing, is fully integrated, and component and subsystem tests are ongoing, supported by an in-house methane engine testing facility. The company plans to use this same engine architecture for both stages of its medium-lift launch vehicle, aiming to streamline development by maturing a single design, though a critical full-scale hot-fire test is yet to be completed.

The startup's ambition is to increase India's capacity to launch satellites, citing a significant gap between the country's satellite goals and its current launch capabilities. Astrobase's compiled data indicates India launched about 9.5 tonnes into space in 2025, compared to 370 tonnes by China and 2,700 tonnes by the US. Astrobase aims for a first orbital launch by December 2028, with a longer-term goal to increase India's annual orbital launch capacity from around 100 tonnes to over 1,000 tonnes, while producing approximately 50 engines annually.

Astrobase has raised $13.5 million for its current development phase, and has been selected under IN-SPACe’s Technology Adoption Fund. However, the company acknowledges reusability is a long-term engineering challenge, estimating five to ten flights before successful first-stage recovery. The capital needed to reach orbital flight and scale commercial operations, along with its cost-competitiveness against established providers, remain undisclosed. For now, Astrobase's priority is to demonstrate reliable engine performance and progress towards its orbital flight target.