With a little help from CSR grants courtesy of institutions like the Martin Group and the APJ Abdul Kalam International Foundation in Tamil Nadu, Chennai’s space startup could start trying to do what it thinks it can do best: launch low-cost rockets into space and then bring them back to Earth.
True to its potential, SpaceZone (India) made a name for itself by launching 100 femtosatellites in its first year of operations. “We managed to achieve ₹“98 lakh in revenue that first year,” says Anand, in a chat with CNBC-TV18.
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However, the startup’s moment of glory came last year, when it sent 150 student-made picosatellites into space on a hybrid rocket. For Anand and SpaceZone, the goal was always clear from the start: to send a reusable hybrid rocket into space – and rightly so.
The company came a step closer to achieving that goal a fortnight ago, when it not only sent the Rhumi-1 into space, but ensured that the rocket took off from a mobile platform on a beach, without the aid of a spaceport. “Using a mobile platform means that rockets can be launched from anywhere in the country,” Anand explains.
“There is a lot of interest in space technology, space exploration and many children want to be astronauts,” he adds. “A mobile platform now means that rocket launches can happen in the deserts of Gujarat or near Delhi, without having to plan launches in places like Sriharikota that have large spaceports.”
Read also: India’s first reusable rocket, Rhumi-1, returns to Earth, but ocean sediment delays its recovery
In FY25, SpaceZone (India) is projected to achieve revenues of ₹ 5 crore thanks to reusable rocket launches alone. Anand is confident of achieving the target. ₹The target is to reach Rs 100 crore in the next fiscal year. The revenue model is simple: keep launching reusable rockets from mobile platforms at an estimated cost of one-fifth the cost of a traditional rocket launch.
Rhumi-2 and Rhumi-3, due in 2025 and 2027 respectively, are likely to carry payloads from Dubai-based Edutech4Space and Grahaa Space, for which SpaceZone (India) will launch nanosatellites. “We want to focus on the educational satellite launch market,” says Anand. “Just eight launches a year can ensure us profits.”
SpaceZone (India) is currently in the process of raising a pre-series funding round, and the startup is aiming to… ₹50 crore in total. Anand, meanwhile, is also busy improving the technology that powers his reusable rockets: “We want to move from a parachute launch system to a propulsion system, to ensure that our rockets return safely to Earth.”
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