Skyroot, Bellatrix signs MoU to use latter's orbital transfer vehicle

In simple terms, an Orbital Transfer Vehicle is like a taxi in space that takes satellites to their operational orbits

Skyroot Aerospace and Bellatrix Aerospace have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to use the Orbital Transfer Vehicle being developed by Bellatrix Aerospace in the upper stage of Vikram series of launch vehicles being developed by Skyroot.

An Orbital Transfer Vehicle is a spacecraft that can perform various in-orbit operations including deployment of customer payload to precise orbits, allowing a launch vehicle to deliver satellites to more orbits than what was conventionally possible. In simple terms, it is like a taxi in space to take satellites to their operational orbits. 

Skyroot and Bellatrix plan to have the first mission of a Vikram launcher with an Orbital Transfer Vehicle by 2023.

Bellatrix Aerospace, an IP driven space tech company founded in 2015, is a full-suite solution provider of spacecraft propulsion systems offering both chemical and electric propulsion technologies. 

Currently, Bellatrix is expanding its business towards developing Orbital Transfer Vehicles based on its advanced propulsion technologies for precise orbital insertion of satellites and also becoming prime contractor for developing and operating unconventional satellite platforms for highly demanding and complex mission requirements.

Skyroot Aerospace, founded in 2018, is a National Award winning startup building space launch vehicles. It is founded by former ISRO scientists and planning their first launch to Space in 2021. Last year Skyroot successfully tested their upper stage engine Raman and Solid fuel demonstrator Kalam-5.

Naga Bharath Daka, COO & Co-Founder at Skyroot Aerospace, said that partnership with Bellatrix Aerospace, to use their Orbital Transfer Vehicle with Skyroot's Vikram series of launch vehicles gives us additional boost to company's launch capabilities to meet specialised customer requirements.

Pawan Kumar Chandana, CEO & Co-founder, said, “We believe collaboration among our own startups can offer very competitive solutions from India for the world. 

Rohan Muralidhar, CEO of Bellatrix Aerospace said, “We are confident that this partnership will help us serve complex mission requirements and at the same time reduce the cost of access to space. The increasing demand for timely satellite constellation deployment in different orbits and on rideshare missions has not only made Orbital Transfer Vehicles (OTV) attractive, but also necessary. We are happy to announce that Bellatrix Aerospace is now developing a highly efficient and cost effective OTVs”