Bellatrix Aerospace: Pioneering Sustainable In-Space Propulsion from Bengaluru
- Vansh Arora
- May 20
- 2 min read
In a world where the race to space is accelerating rapidly, one Indian startup is quietly but powerfully changing the course of in-space mobility—with sustainability at its core.
Bellatrix Aerospace, a Bengaluru-based aerospace firm, is leading India’s private space tech revolution by developing cutting-edge, eco-friendly propulsion systems that are transforming how satellites move and operate in space.
From a College Lab to the Cosmos
Founded in 2015 by Rohan M. Ganapathy and Yashas Karanam, Bellatrix began its journey at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc). What started as a dream in an academic lab has now turned into a global mission—creating high-performance, clean propulsion systems for satellites and orbital transfer vehicles (OTVs).
Bellatrix’s game-changing technologies include the Arka Hall Effect Thruster and Rudra green chemical propulsion system. While traditional systems use toxic fuels like hydrazine, Bellatrix is rewriting the narrative with safer, more efficient alternatives.
Breaking Barriers in the Sky
In the past year, Bellatrix has made headlines for its series of historic milestones:
January 2024: Arka and Rudra successfully qualified in space onboard ISRO’s PSLV C-58 mission. Arka’s heaterless hollow cathode was a global first—boosting efficiency and reliability.
January 2025: Bellatrix scored a hat-trick of successful in-orbit firings of its green propulsion system during the PSLV C-60 POEM-4 mission. Green tech in action—three times in a row!
April 2025: The company launched its U.S. subsidiary in Delaware, marking its formal entry into the lucrative American space market.
Strategic Collaborations: Bellatrix partnered with NSIL for its Pushpak OTV integration and is in talks with international players like Japan’s Astroscale and India’s Digantara for space debris management and on-orbit services.
Vision Beyond the Horizon
The company is currently working on Project 200, which aims to deploy satellites into ultra-low Earth orbit (180–250 km) at a fraction of current costs—revolutionizing affordability for satellite operators.
And they’re not stopping there. With plans to open a manufacturing unit in the U.S. and forge more international collaborations, Bellatrix is all set to scale new heights.
SK A&G’s Take
We at SK Associates & Group celebrate Bellatrix Aerospace’s relentless spirit of innovation. They’re not just building thrusters—they’re building a future where sustainability and space can coexist.
As India positions itself as a key player in the space economy, startups like Bellatrix are proving that homegrown tech can lead the global charge toward a cleaner and smarter space era.
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