IN-SPACe's First Startup Grants Target Propulsion, Remote Sensing AI, and Star Trackers

IN-SPACe carved out checks to three private firms building hardware ISRO's own roadmap doesn't prioritize, betting that non-governmental entities can close critical gaps in propulsion, Earth observation AI, and satellite attitude control.

Closed-Cycle Rocket Engine Gets a Private Push

Astrobase Space Technologies landed development funding for a high-thrust closed-cycle liquid rocket engine. Closed-cycle designs (like staged combustion or expander bleed) are notoriously finicky—Russia's RD-180 and SpaceX's full-flow staged combustion are the gold standards. India's space establishment has mostly relied on open-cycle engines (Vikas). If Astrobase delivers, it'll be the first Indian private company to tick that box.

SatSure’s Large Earth Observation Model as India’s Foundational Remote Sensing AI

SatSure Analytics India will build what it calls a Large Earth Observation Model (LOM). Think of it as a foundation model trained specifically on satellite imagery—similar to what NASA's IMPACT and startups like Planet have been converging on, but positioned as India's national AI backbone for remote sensing. That means downstream applications in agriculture, infrastructure monitoring, and defense could piggyback on a government-supported pre-trained model rather than building from scratch.

AI Star Tracker for High-Resolution Satellites

TM2SPACE Technologies gets to develop an indigenous AI-powered star tracker. Traditional star trackers match star patterns against catalogues; an AI approach can handle noisy optics and fast slew rates better. TM2SPACE's target is the pointing accuracy required for high-resolution imaging and narrow-beam communication missions—both essential for the next generation of Indian commercial satellites.

All three were selected through a multi-stage evaluation by an expert committee that included ISRO, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), the Department of Science and Technology (DST), industry, and academia. Dr. Pawan Goenka, IN-SPACe chairman, framed the fund as a bridge between early-stage development and commercial success. The Technology Adoption Fund scheme is designed for industry to absorb, adapt, and commercialize advanced space tech—not just R&D for its own sake.

If these three startups deliver, India's private space sector will have proven it can build the components ISRO doesn't want to own outright.

Source: IN-SPACe selects 3 startups for funding under its Technology Adoption Fund scheme
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