India's 1st private spaceplane to be drop-tested next week
What's the story
AnduraX, a space technology start-up from Vijayawada, is gearing up for a major milestone in its journey. The company will soon conduct a high-altitude balloon drop test of its experimental vehicle. This test, scheduled for the first week of next month, is an important step toward developing India's first private Reusable Reentry Vehicle, the ARES spaceplane. Notably, the plane is targeting its first re-entry mission by 2028.
Mission details
The test will be conducted from an altitude of 25km
The upcoming test, dubbed ADM-01 or ARES Drop Mission 1, will see the vehicle released under near-stratospheric conditions from an altitude of 25km. The primary goal is to gather crucial flight data for AnduraX's Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) architecture and return capability. This comes after low-altitude tests were conducted earlier this month.
Technological advancements
ARES can carry payloads up to 100kg
The ARES spaceplane can carry a payload of up to 100kg. "We are building reusable re-entry systems to make microgravity research and in-space manufacturing more accessible, faster, and practical," said Sree Supranayi, Co-founder and CEO of AnduraX. The ability to manufacture in space and safely return has the potential to revolutionize industries from cancer cure research to semiconductor chip production.
Company profile
AnduraX is a graduate of KickSky Space Lab
AnduraX is a graduate of the Bengaluru-based KickSky Space Lab Cohort 2, supported by Riceberg Ventures, E2MC Ventures, and Aniara Space. The company is backed by several venture capital groups as it pushes forward with its plans. The upcoming drop test will be a major step toward building the capability of safe re-entry in India.