Bengaluru-based space-tech startup Astrobase Space Technologies has unveiled ‘EVEREST’, India’s first privately built 800-kilonewton full-flow staged combustion (FFSC) LOX-methane rocket engine, marking a major step in the country’s move towards private, reusable and high-frequency space launches.

The engine is designed to power reusable medium-lift launch vehicles and is intended to support precision control, faster turnaround and improved launch economics. However, EVEREST has not yet undergone a full-scale test, and the company has not finalised the timeline for its first complete-engine hot-fire test. The next major milestones will include hot-fire testing, vehicle integration, qualification and the development of an orbital launch system.

The unveiling ceremony in Karnataka was attended by Rajeev Jyoti, Distinguished Scientist and Director of the Technical Directorate at IN-SPACe, who was the chief guest. Astrobase co-founders Neeraj Khandelwal and Devakumar T, Indian Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla and Lieutenant General AK Bhatt, Director General of the Indian Space Association, were also present.

EVEREST targets reusable launch vehicles

Powered by liquid oxygen and methane, EVEREST uses one of the most advanced and technically demanding rocket-engine architectures in the world. The FFSC cycle is designed to route both propellant streams through pre-burners before sending them into the main combustion chamber, enabling high efficiency, high chamber pressure and greater utilisation of the propellant.

The engine is rated to produce 800 kN of thrust, equivalent to an 80-tonne-class propulsion system. It has a reported specific impulse of approximately 340 seconds and a throttle range of 50% to 110%, allowing more precise control during different phases of a launch mission.

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The use of methane and liquid oxygen is intended to support cleaner next-generation launch systems and repeated use. Methane-based propulsion can also assist engine refurbishment and turnaround compared with some traditional propellant combinations. EVEREST is being developed for reusable medium-lift launch vehicles capable of supporting commercial, strategic and national missions.

The engine’s design has drawn comparisons with SpaceX’s Raptor because the FFSC architecture remains exceptionally rare. Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla noted that only a handful of companies—not countries—have seriously pursued the technology and that SpaceX is the only company to have successfully flown an FFSC engine to orbit so far.

From one engine to an industrial ecosystem

Astrobase is positioning EVEREST as more than a propulsion prototype. The company plans to build a vertically integrated launch ecosystem covering engine design, advanced manufacturing, testing, stage integration, vehicle qualification and launch operations.

Neeraj Khandelwal, co-founder and CEO of Astrobase Space Technologies, described the engine as the foundation of a larger industrial effort.

“EVEREST is not a standalone technology demonstration; it represents the foundation of an industrial capability that India will increasingly need in the years ahead.”

He said the next phase would focus on building the industrial readiness and launch cadence needed to serve national requirements as well as a rapidly growing global market.

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“With tens of thousands of satellites expected to be deployed over the coming decade, indigenous high-thrust propulsion systems and scalable launch infrastructure will be critical to strengthening India’s position in the global space economy,” Khandelwal said.

Astrobase plans to establish infrastructure capable of manufacturing up to 50 EVEREST engines annually. Once fully operational, the facilities are expected to manufacture and hot-fire approximately one high-thrust engine every week.

The company also plans to manufacture and test around 20 engines before its first orbital flight. This approach is intended to build operational confidence through repeated testing and validation rather than moving directly from a first prototype to a flight attempt.

100 tonnes in Phase 1, over 1,000 tonnes in Phase 2

Astrobase has outlined an ambitious launch-capacity roadmap. In Phase 1, the company aims to enable approximately 100 tonnes of annual launch capacity, which it says could support a Low Earth Orbit fleet of around 500 to 700 satellites.

In Phase 2, the target rises to more than 1,000 tonnes of annual launch capacity, supported by a rapid launch cadence and expanded manufacturing infrastructure. The company’s long-term aim is to provide reliable, on-demand access to orbit for commercial, strategic and national missions.

Astrobase is building its launch strategy around a “launch-on-demand” model. It says a dedicated mission could be prepared and launched within 15 days of receiving an urgent national requirement, subject to vehicle readiness, regulatory approvals, range availability and mission conditions.

Such a capability would be important for satellite replacement, emergency communications, defence requirements, Earth observation and time-sensitive commercial missions. It would also provide customers with an alternative to fixed launch schedules that may involve long waiting periods.

Advanced manufacturing under Indian control

EVEREST has been designed and engineered by Astrobase’s in-house engineering team. The company is using advanced manufacturing systems, including what it describes as India’s largest industrial 3D printer, to produce complex engine components and accelerate design iterations.

Additive manufacturing can reduce the number of separate parts in certain assemblies, shorten production cycles and enable rapid modification of components during testing. For a startup developing a highly complex engine, the ability to move quickly between design, fabrication and testing could be critical.

Astrobase says the complete propulsion chain will remain under Indian control. This includes the critical design authority, system engineering, manufacturing knowledge, software, test data and mission configuration. The company’s objective is to reduce dependence on foreign technology and build sovereign capability across the launch system.

The broader infrastructure will cover high-flow testing, stage integration, vehicle qualification and launch operations. This reflects an attempt to develop not just an engine but an integrated industrial base capable of supporting repeated orbital missions.

IN-SPACe support for private innovation

Rajeev Jyoti of IN-SPACe said Astrobase is among the recipients of the organisation’s Technology Adoption Fund (TAF), which is supporting the development of the 800 kN FFSC engine.

“TAF was set up precisely to enable the private sector to undertake such innovative technologies and technically demanding work,” Jyoti said.

He added that as the engine progresses through further development and testing, it could strengthen India’s capacity for reliable access to space and create new opportunities in the global space economy.

The support is significant because advanced propulsion development requires substantial investment in design, materials, manufacturing equipment, test infrastructure and repeated validation. Public-sector support can help private companies undertake projects that may take years to reach commercial maturity.

Shubhanshu Shukla highlights the human effort

IAF Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, who witnessed the unveiling, described India’s space sector as becoming “more exciting with each passing day.”

“For those outside the space community, this may sound like just another engine. It isn’t,” he said.

Shukla said the FFSC cycle represented one of the most difficult engineering challenges in rocketry. But he also emphasised the effort behind the hardware, including years of calculations, failed tests, redesigns, persistence and quiet determination.

“Milestones like these are never the finish line, they are proof that the journey is moving in the right direction,” he said.

He congratulated the Astrobase team and expressed hope for successful hot-fire tests and future missions. Shukla said space ecosystems are built not through a single breakthrough but through several ambitious teams taking on problems that once appeared impossibly difficult.

Building India’s sovereign launch capability

Astrobase was founded in 2024 by former ISRO scientist Devakumar Thammisetty and technology entrepreneur Neeraj Khandelwal. Headquartered in Bengaluru, the company describes itself as a space-infrastructure firm focused on propulsion systems, testing facilities and reusable launch technologies.

The company believes that India’s share of the global space economy remains below 2% despite the rapid growth of satellite communications, Earth observation, navigation, broadband and defence applications. It argues that indigenous high-thrust propulsion and scalable launch manufacturing will be essential if India is to capture a larger share of the global market.

The success of EVEREST will ultimately depend on the results of its hot-fire tests, the reliability of its turbomachinery and combustion systems, repeated-use performance and eventual vehicle integration. For now, the unveiling represents an important pre-test milestone—but also a clear statement of ambition.

With a planned capacity to manufacture 50 engines a year, an initial goal of 100 tonnes of annual launch capacity and a long-term target exceeding 1,000 tonnes, Astrobase is attempting to build the industrial backbone for India’s next phase of private space activity.