Indian space start-up unveils 150-acre rocket testing facility
What's the story
Indian space start-up Ethereal Exploration Guild has launched a 150-acre rocket development and testing facility, The Anchorage, in Space City, Andhra Pradesh. The site is located about 40km from the Satish Dhawan Space Center (SDSC SHAR), India's primary spaceport. The facility's main feature is the Pegasus Horizontal Static Test Facility, which can conduct pressure-fed rocket engine tests at pressures up to 210 bar.
Future tests
First hot-fire test of the Pegasus engine planned for November
Ethereal Guild has planned the first hot-fire test of its 80-kilonewton Pegasus engine in November 2026.
The Pegasus engine will power the upper stage of the company's Razor Crest Mk 1 (RCM1), a medium-lift launch vehicle designed to recover and reuse both its booster and upper stage.
The RCM1 will use two semi-cryogenic engines: Pegasus for the reusable upper stage and Stallion, a 1.2-meganewton gas-generator engine, to power the booster during lift-off and atmospheric ascent.
Engine development
Vertical test facility for Stallion under construction
The Guild describes Stallion as the world's most powerful reusable semi-cryogenic rocket engine. However, its development and qualification are still in progress.
A vertical test facility for Stallion is also being built at The Anchorage to support individual engine firings and clustered-engine tests.
This will allow Ethereal Exploration Guild to assess how multiple engines operate together during these tests.
Facility features
Integrated stage qualification and manufacturing capabilities
The Anchorage will also support integrated stage qualification, bringing together propellant tanks, feed systems, structures, avionics, controls, and flight software.
Manufacturing capabilities like machining, welding, additive manufacturing, and tank fabrication are also planned at the facility.
The Guild says it will eventually support refurbishment and requalification of flown rocket hardware, a critical requirement for repeated launches.
CEO statement
Achieving full reusability requires integrated approach, says The Guild CEO
"Full reusability is not achieved by vehicle design alone," said Manu J. Nair, co-founder and CEO of The Guild.
He stressed the importance of integrating manufacturing, testing, and refurbishment in achieving full reusability.
The infrastructure at The Anchorage is being developed alongside the company's engines and launch vehicle stages.
Its planned capabilities will need to undergo testing and qualification before RCM1 can progress toward operational flights.