Japan’s Astroscale Partners Indian Spacetech Startups Digantara, Bellatrix

SUMMARY

Astroscale has joined hands with Indian spacetech startups Digantara and Bellatrix Aerospace to collaborate on orbital technology and services

The agreement will mark Astroscale’s first operation in the Asia-Pacific region outside Japan

Astroscale Japan’s president and MD Eddie Kato said that India has been on Astroscale’s list of possible markets with established space capabilities

Japan-based on-orbit service provider Astroscale has joined hands with Indian spacetech startups Digantara and Bellatrix Aerospace to collaborate on orbital technology and services.

The partnership is expected to result in an orbital services bid for Indian clients in a couple of years, Astroscale Japan’s president and managing director (MD) Eddie Kato told Reuters.

The agreement will mark Astroscale’s first operation in the Asia-Pacific region outside Japan.

Founded in 2013, Astroscale claims to deliver a variety of on-orbit servicing solutions, including life extension, in-situ space situational awareness, end-of-life, and active debris removal.

Kato said that India has been on Astroscale’s list of possible markets with established space capabilities where its services will have demand.

Inc42 has reached out to Digantara and Bellatrix Aersopace for comments on the partnership. The story will be updated on receiving their responses.

Founded in 2018 by Anirudh Sharma, Rahul Rawat, and Tanveer Ahmed, Digantara flagship offering is its space debris detector and aims to create a constellation of satellites to track objects as small as 1 cm.

Last month, the startup said it was planning to invest $10 Mn to $15 Mn over the next six to eight months to build a dedicated spacecraft manufacturing and space optics production centre in Colorado, US.

The State of Colorado has pledged close to $1 Mn in operational incentives to accelerate Digantara’s expansion into the US. The expansion came with multiple US Department of Defense contracts, including with the Air Force and Space Force.

Meanwhile, Bellatrix Aerospace, founded in 2015 by Rohan Ganapathy and Yashas Karanam, has developed a “green” propulsion system that replaces hydrazine in satellite thrusters. The startup has developed four products in the propulsion category – Arka, Rudra, Jal, and Rudra nano

The collaboration is the second such partnership between an Indian startup and a Japanese company. In December last year, InspeCity inked an agreement with Japan’s Orbital Lasers to explore laser-based solutions for removing space debris.

The development comes at a time when India’s spacetech sector is witnessing a surge in new entrants driven by government policy measures and funding activity. According to Inc42’s Indian Startup Funding Report 2024, spacetech startups raised $81 Mn across 14 funding deals last year.