Orbitt Space, an Ahmedabad-based space technology start-up founded in February 2025 by ex-ISRO scientists Christopher Parmar and Anupam Kumar, has secured $1 million in pre-seed funding to develop a pioneering air-breathing electric propulsion system for satellites operating in Ultra Low Earth Orbit (ULEO), a region below 250 kilometres altitude, a region that has remained largely inaccessible due to high atmospheric drag and fuel constraints.

This orbital band has remained largely untapped due to the prohibitive challenges posed by high atmospheric drag and the impracticality of carrying sufficient onboard fuel to sustain operations. Orbitt’s technology is designed to address these issues by utilizing residual atmospheric gases as propellant, thereby eliminating the need for traditional fuel and enabling long-duration satellite missions lasting 5–7 years in this previously inaccessible environment.

The company’s propulsion system is a significant departure from conventional satellite technologies, which rely on stored propellants that are quickly exhausted in ULEO due to the high drag. Orbitt’s approach draws fuel from the orbit itself, generating thrust directly from the environment and allowing satellites to remain operational for extended periods without contributing to space debris.

This innovation not only overcomes the limitations of current propulsion methods but also offers substantial performance advantages, including sharper imaging capabilities, reduced signal latency, and significant cost reductions by enabling the use of commercial-grade electronics instead of expensive radiation-hardened components.

Orbitt is targeting a “blue ocean” market opportunity, as current Low Earth Orbit (LEO) operations between 500–700 kilometres are becoming increasingly congested, with over 40,000 tracked objects and an estimated 1.2 million smaller debris fragments. This congestion has created exponential challenges for satellite manoeuvrability and control, raising collision risks for both existing and new missions.

The company’s focus on ULEO not only provides a less crowded alternative but also offers a natural solution to the space debris problem, as satellites in this region naturally deorbit due to atmospheric drag, thereby self-regulating and addressing one of the industry’s most pressing sustainability challenges.

The $1 million funding round, led by pi Ventures with participation from IIMA Ventures, will be strategically deployed to build a core team of 8–10 scientists and engineers, primarily targeting ex-ISRO talent, and to accelerate prototype development and environmental testing.

The company’s roadmap includes a three-phase development plan: prototype development and ground-based validation, rigorous qualification testing, and ultimately, the launch of the first operational satellite with air-breathing electric propulsion by 2027–2028. Orbitt’s ISRO-honed expertise in satellite system design and testing is viewed as a key competitive advantage, enabling the company to meet the high reliability and qualification standards required for long-duration space missions.

Orbitt’s technology has broad implications for the global satellite industry. The company projects that the current $13 billion LEO market could migrate to ULEO due to the superior performance and cost advantages offered by their system. Target applications include high-resolution Earth observation, low-latency telecommunications, climate monitoring, surveillance, and national security missions. Early business discussions are already underway with payload partners, including notable names such as TATA Advanced Systems, and Orbitt is leveraging its strategic location at IIM Ahmedabad to access ISRO testing facilities and forge partnerships with various ISRO centres through IN-SPACe.

Orbitt Space is poised to redefine satellite operations by unlocking the untapped potential of ULEO, offering a cleaner, more efficient, and sustainable approach to space infrastructure. Their breakthrough propulsion technology, combined with a strong foundation in ISRO’s rigorous reliability standards, positions the company to lead the next generation of satellite innovation and elevate India’s strategic space capabilities on the global stage.

Agencies