Stardour’s Hydrogen Engine Test Marks a New Chapter in India’s Space Mobility Efforts

In the evolving landscape of India’s private space sector, a Hyderabad-based startup is quietly working on technology that could reshape how we think about satellite movement and in-orbit logistics.

Stardour, a spacetech startup operating in stealth mode, has successfully test-fired India’s first hydrogen-oxygen propulsion engine, developed entirely in-house. The test, conducted at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru, is a significant milestone for the development of Lucas—the company’s upcoming Orbital Transfer Vehicle (OTV), envisioned as a next-generation platform for moving payloads across different orbits in space.

Founded in 2020, Stardour is led by Rama Rao, a former scientist at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), and is focused on building sustainable and autonomous solutions for in-space transportation.

What Is Lucas and Why It Matters

The OTV, named Lucas, is being developed to carry out a range of tasks—from transporting satellites between orbits to assisting in in-orbit refueling, debris removal, satellite servicing, and even enabling deep-space exploration. These capabilities position Lucas as a key enabler for the future of space missions, especially as satellite constellations become more common and space infrastructure becomes increasingly modular.

Stardour has set a target for Lucas’s maiden flight in the third quarter of 2027. The vehicle is being designed to operate in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), Geostationary Orbit (GEO), and potentially missions extending to the Moon and Mars.

An Orbital Transfer Vehicle, often referred to as a “space tug,” plays a crucial role in bridging the gap between launch and deployment. Once a launch vehicle drops off a satellite into a particular orbit, an OTV can take over—relocating the satellite to its final orbit or performing additional services to extend its functionality.

A Step Towards Greener Propulsion in Space

The successful hydrogen-oxygen engine test marks an important move toward green propulsion systems—a segment gaining attention globally for its potential to make space operations cleaner and more efficient.

“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 Rama Rao, Director at Stardour.

Hydrogen-oxygen propulsion is known for being a cleaner alternative to traditional chemical propulsion methods. It produces water as a byproduct, making it an environmentally friendly choice, especially crucial as space exploration efforts scale up and sustainability becomes a key concern.

According to Professor Pratikash Panda from IISc, the test represents a significant leap for the Indian startup ecosystem in space technology.

“The successful test-firing of Stardour’s hydrogen-oxygen engine is a testament to the Indian startup’s commitment to green propulsion technology and innovation in reusable spacecraft,” he noted.

Bootstrapped But Bold: Stardour’s Journey So Far

Despite operating in stealth mode, Stardour has taken a clear stand on building futuristic and sustainable technologies in space. The startup was founded by Sankarsh Chanda, and though still bootstrapped, it has already carved out a niche for itself by working on highly specialized domains like green propulsion, orbital mobility, and deep-space logistics.

At a time when many Indian space startups are focused on launch vehicles or satellite tech, Stardour is choosing to work on the “in-between” layer—the infrastructure that enables seamless movement and servicing within space itself.

This differentiated approach could position Stardour uniquely in the emerging space-as-a-service economy, where modular, reusable, and cost-efficient systems will define the next generation of space missions.

The test comes at a time when India’s space sector is seeing significant private participation. Following recent policy reforms, startups like Skyroot Aerospace, Agnikul Cosmos, and Pixxel have already gained visibility for their work in rockets and satellite imagery.

In this fast-growing ecosystem, Stardour’s successful hydrogen engine test underscores the broadening scope of private innovation in India—from launch to in-space logistics and now sustainable propulsion.

As the global space economy gears up for exponential growth—expected to cross the $1 trillion mark by 2040—infrastructure players like Stardour could play a crucial role in keeping missions cost-effective, efficient, and environment-friendly.

With a successful test under its belt and development underway on its first OTV, Stardour now joins a small group of global companies exploring hydrogen-based propulsion for commercial applications. While the road to Lucas’s launch in 2027 is still long, this milestone suggests that India’s private sector is not only catching up—but contributing meaningfully to the future of global space logistics.

If Stardour stays the course, it could very well help define how satellites move, function, and even survive in space—cleaner, smarter, and longer.