#Space #Update #Thread
An R&D centre & manufacturing factory for #Spacetaxis or #OTVs & propulsion systems for rockets & satellites are expected to begin first phase ops on a 5-acre facility at the aerospace park near @BLRAirport by late 2023. 1/n
An R&D centre & manufacturing factory for #Spacetaxis or #OTVs & propulsion systems for rockets & satellites are expected to begin first phase ops on a 5-acre facility at the aerospace park near @BLRAirport by late 2023. 1/n
The new facility, which once fully operational is expected to be worth $76mn will be established by @BellatrixAero, which signed an MoU with the government of Karnataka on Wednesday. 2/n
“Having a wide range of thrusters designed to overcome challenges associated with incumbent tech by providing better performance, longer life, reduced costs etc, we now aim for large scale production and research facilities,” Yashas Karanam of @BellatrixAero told me. 3/n
The firm said it plans to set up its 2.1-lakh-sq ft space factory to meet its global demand with a capacity to manufacture several thousand propulsion systems every year, in addition to the state-of-the-art facility to manufacture its OTVs. 4/n
The facility is set to generate high-tech jobs both for R&D (scientists) & production. “Overall, over the next 3-4 years, we're looking at 350-400 jobs at this facility. We should be able to begin ops as part of 1st phase implementation in the 2nd half of 2023,” Karanam said. 5/n
The firm may eventually up investment to touch $100mn, but Karanam said “it is too early to comment”. At the new facility, aside from the space taxi, it will manufacture four thrusters: The Hall thruster, microwave plasma thruster, nano thrusters and green propulsion systems. 6/n
@BellatrixAero, which last year tested India’s first privately built Hall thruster — a highly efficient electric propulsion system for satellites — has since signed an agreement with L&T to enhance capacity... 7/n
It was also the first to develop the world’s first commercial Microwave Plasma Thruster, which uses water as fuel, and for which the company had bagged an order from Isro. 8/n
A Hall Thruster, initially developed in Russia, is a device that employs electric and magnetic fields to ionise propellant gases such as Xenon to produce thrust. Today, it is the most reliable and time-tested electric propulsion system in the global market. 9/n
And as per @BellatrixAero, this (Hall) thruster also forms a critical technology for its Space taxi or OTV. The firm has collaborations with other space companies — SatSure, Skyroot Aerospace and Dhruva Space — on its ambitious orbital transfer vehicle (OTV) mission. n/n
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