Bengaluru firm making 'expandable space habitat': All you need to know

A Bengaluru startup - Akashalabdhi - is looking to make the next generation living quarters for astronauts, researchers, and maybe even space tourists, The Times of India reported.

The company is recognised by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) and the news comes as India's dreams of having a human presence in space is blooming courtesy the Gaganyaan and Bharatiya Antriksh Station (BAS) programmes.

The firm saw its journey start at IIT-Roorkee from November 2023 and has been incubated at IISc. It is headquartered in Bengaluru.

TOI reported that a prototype model of the habitat monikered 'Antariksh HAB' is now ready. The final version can accommodate 16 personnel and will have an innovation-fuelled structure that can provide superior protection against orbital debris as well as radiation.

Some of the issues current space habitats like the International Space Station (ISS) face include scalability, limited living space, and cost-efficiency. The firm, meanwhile, posits that its product can be launched as a compact habitat and will inflate later when in space.

The CEO, speaking to the publication noted that once it is in the intended orbit, the habitat will take around a week to inflate fully. "We’ve used seven layers to build the habitat and there are special materials. We have a patent for design, and are awaiting a patent for materials used and processes. So at this juncture, we cannot comment on those aspects," the head of the company told TOI.

The CEO noted that some of the critical testing like wind tunnel, shape test, and radiation, have already been carried out at ISRO facilities, and for some of the other tests the firm will have to use facilities outside India. For tests like burst pressure and microgravity longevity, the firm is in talks with NASA-JPL, the head told TOI.

The CEO noted that sustainability is one of the key focuses and given that they use soft materials, it lowers the chance of space debris generation by 82 per cent as compared to solid fixed structures. A vital aspect of this project is developing closed-loop life support systems, like advanced systems to recycle water, air, and waste.

These habitats can have volumes ranging from 80 to 330 cubic metres, based on what the customer needs. The chief business officer noted that they aim to become the world's first 'Space Real Estate Company' stating that this scalability factor would allow them to support a variety of missions.

As per the chief business officer their modular design allows for future expansion as well as reconfiguration based on the nature of the mission and crew size.

"This adaptability extends to maintenance and repairs, with individual components easily replaceable or upgradeable," TOI quoted him say.

The company is planning its first habitat launch by 2027 if all goes according to plan and are negotiationg a slot for launch with Elon Musk's SpaceX, the chief business officer noted.