Bengaluru's Akashalabdhi space inflatable module survives 30km balloon test
Akashalabdhi Space, a Bengaluru-based company, just pulled off a big win by testing an inflatable structure at 30km above Earth using a high-altitude balloon.
Their inflatable structure made the trip up and landed safely without damage, marking a major step for their ANTARIKSHAB program, which aims to build tech for living and working in orbit.
CEO Siddarth Jena said, "The module, which was expected to sustain some damage during landing, absorbed the impact without the anticipated damage. The ability of the structure and its protective systems to withstand landing loads is important for future missions involving the recovery of experimental hardware and materials from space."
IISc and Perovskia solar experiments flown
The flight also carried two cool experiments: one from IISc exploring ways microbes could help turn lunar or Martian soil into building materials, and another from Switzerland's Perovskia Solar testing solar cells in near-space conditions.
Riding this momentum, Akashalabdhi is already gearing up for an orbital mission in March 2027 with even bigger payloads, so expect more space innovation soon!