Manastu Space wins ₹116 crore government backing for green propulsion

Navi Mumbai-based Manastu Space Technologies has signed an agreement with the Technology Development Board (TDB) under the Department of Science and Technology for ₹116 crore in financial support under the government's Research Development and Innovation (RDI) Fund, PIB reports. The support, extended through optionally convertible debt, goes towards a project costing ₹277.63 crore to develop a scalable green propulsion system for satellites and launch vehicles across the 5 mN to 300 N thrust class, advancing the technology from TRL-6 to TRL-9. The system uses a hydrogen peroxide-based green propellant with additives, paired with an integrated engine and an ultra-high-temperature ceramic catalyst, and has already been demonstrated in space. The programme covers further engineering, system integration, testing and validation, including propulsion engines and propellant feed systems. TDB secretary Rajesh Kumar Pathak said the project aims to strengthen indigenous capability in a critical part of the space value chain; Manastu's co-founder and CTO said the support will take the propulsion platform towards TRL-9 readiness.

DTT summary based on India Today's report. The full article is on the publisher's site.