<p>Hyderabad: Hyderabad based spacetech startup Stardour has successfully test-fired India’s first hydrogen-oxygen propulsion engine. </p><p>The engine was developed entirely in-house and tested at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore.</p>.Bengaluru Tech Summit 2025 to bring 20,000 startup founders on one platform.<p>This is a major breakthrough for India’s private space-tech sector, as hydrogen-oxygen propulsion systems are typically complex and resource-intensive to build. The engine is built to power Lucas, Stardour’s upcoming Orbital Transfer Vehicle (OTV).</p><p>Unlike launch vehicles that take payloads from Earth to space, OTVs operate once in orbit and are designed to maneuver satellites or payloads between orbits or toward deeper space destinations. </p><p>Lucas is envisioned for use in missions to Low Earth Orbit (LEO), Geostationary Orbit (GEO), The Moon and Mars. Stardour is targeting the maiden launch of Lucas in Q3 of 2027, marking a significant leap in India’s private space capabilities.</p><p>“This successful test fire is not just a technical milestone; it’s a signal to the world that India is ready to lead in the new era of sustainable and autonomous in-space logistics,” said Mr Rama Rao, Director of Stardour. </p><p>We are proud to be working alongside academic pioneers at IISc Bangalore and drawing from the country’s rich talent pool in aerospace and research,” added Rama Rao who is an ex ISRO scientist.</p><p>Stardour’s team brings together some of the brightest minds in aerospace and propulsion engineering, including former ISRO scientists and top researchers from India’s most esteemed technical institutes. </p><p>The synergy of deep institutional experience and agile startup innovation is driving the company’s rapid progress toward space-readiness. However, with this latest engine milestone and the 2027 launch of Lucas on the horizon, Stardour is emerging as a bold new force in India’s growing private space sector.</p><p>Stardour is a next-generation Indian spacetech startup, working at the intersection of green propulsion, orbital mobility, and deep-space exploration.</p>
<p>Hyderabad: Hyderabad based spacetech startup Stardour has successfully test-fired India’s first hydrogen-oxygen propulsion engine. </p><p>The engine was developed entirely in-house and tested at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore.</p>.Bengaluru Tech Summit 2025 to bring 20,000 startup founders on one platform.<p>This is a major breakthrough for India’s private space-tech sector, as hydrogen-oxygen propulsion systems are typically complex and resource-intensive to build. The engine is built to power Lucas, Stardour’s upcoming Orbital Transfer Vehicle (OTV).</p><p>Unlike launch vehicles that take payloads from Earth to space, OTVs operate once in orbit and are designed to maneuver satellites or payloads between orbits or toward deeper space destinations. </p><p>Lucas is envisioned for use in missions to Low Earth Orbit (LEO), Geostationary Orbit (GEO), The Moon and Mars. Stardour is targeting the maiden launch of Lucas in Q3 of 2027, marking a significant leap in India’s private space capabilities.</p><p>“This successful test fire is not just a technical milestone; it’s a signal to the world that India is ready to lead in the new era of sustainable and autonomous in-space logistics,” said Mr Rama Rao, Director of Stardour. </p><p>We are proud to be working alongside academic pioneers at IISc Bangalore and drawing from the country’s rich talent pool in aerospace and research,” added Rama Rao who is an ex ISRO scientist.</p><p>Stardour’s team brings together some of the brightest minds in aerospace and propulsion engineering, including former ISRO scientists and top researchers from India’s most esteemed technical institutes. </p><p>The synergy of deep institutional experience and agile startup innovation is driving the company’s rapid progress toward space-readiness. However, with this latest engine milestone and the 2027 launch of Lucas on the horizon, Stardour is emerging as a bold new force in India’s growing private space sector.</p><p>Stardour is a next-generation Indian spacetech startup, working at the intersection of green propulsion, orbital mobility, and deep-space exploration.</p>