India’s private space sector has taken a new step in propulsion engineering with Astrophel Aerospace’s development of an advanced cryogenic pump for its Astra-C1 small satellite launch vehicle. The company, a young entrant in India’s evolving commercial launch ecosystem, has designed the pump as a compact yet powerful hardware module—sized like a one-litre bottle yet capable of producing 100 to 150 horsepower, equivalent to a conventional family car engine.

This cryogenic pump currently functions by mechanically moving liquid hydrogen or liquid oxygen into the combustion chamber using an external power source. It operates at an extremely high rotational speed of 25,000 revolutions per minute, showcasing the technical precision required to manage cryogenic propellants at temperatures as low as –253°C (for liquid hydrogen) while maintaining stable flow rates under demanding operating conditions.

Astrophel envisions upgrading this pump into a flight-ready turbo-pump, a more advanced propulsion subsystem that integrates a high-speed turbine. In this configuration, the turbine will spin at tens of thousands of revolutions per minute, delivering propellant at much higher pressures and flow volumes directly into the rocket’s combustion chamber.

This transformation would increase the power output from the current 100–150 horsepower to a significantly higher thrust-supporting capability of 500–600 horsepower—on par with the output of four family cars combined.

The transition is crucial, as turbo-pumps are the industry-standard for operating efficient liquid-fuelled rocket engines, enabling scaling from small-lift vehicles to medium and heavy-lift launchers. With such an upgrade, Astrophel aims to move beyond Astra C1 and develop vehicles capable of deploying larger payloads, thereby strengthening India’s capacity for competitive and commercially sustainable launches in the small satellite segment.

For the technology to achieve operational credibility, certification and verification by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will be essential. ISRO’s rigorous testing processes would not only validate the reliability of Astrophel’s propulsion hardware but also ensure safety, performance efficiency, and integration compatibility with spaceflight missions.

Such certification, if granted, would mark a milestone for India’s growing private space ecosystem by demonstrating that indigenous start-ups can design, produce, and scale propulsion components of world-class standard.

As noted by Astrophel co-founder Suyash Bafna, the endorsement will also act as a signal of India’s capability to develop high-value space hardware for both domestic demand and export markets—potentially opening up avenues to supply propulsion components to global launch providers facing long development cycles and cost competition.

Astrophel’s effort aligns with broader industrial and policy momentum in India’s space sector. According to a joint report by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and consultancy EY, the national space economy—valued at $8.4 billion in 2022—is projected to expand almost fivefold to about $44 billion by 2033, driven largely by private sector participation, global partnerships, and structural reforms supporting commercialisation. Indigenous technology breakthroughs in cryogenics, propulsion, and satellite subsystems are viewed as critical enablers of this trajectory.

For example, ISRO’s in-orbit test of a hydrogen fuel cell in 2024 demonstrated the feasibility of sustainable, high-density power sources for spacecraft. Similarly, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has delivered large cryogenic propellant tanks for launch vehicles, positioning India’s aerospace supply chain to address both civilian and commercial space demands.

In this setting, Astrophel’s cryo-pump upgrade holds particular importance: compact, high-performance turbo-pumps are scarce and expensive globally, and their successful indigenisation would both lower costs for domestic players and enable India to target international propulsion hardware markets.

The project also highlights a shift in India’s technology base from importing and adapting propulsion modules to indigenous innovation in core hardware. Cryogenic turbo-pumps are among the most complex components in rocket engine engineering, requiring expertise in high-speed turbo-machinery, material resilience at cryogenic temperatures, thermal management, and fault-tolerant design.

An indigenous solution lowers dependence on foreign suppliers, while providing scalability toward semi-cryogenic or LOX–methane engines that India plans to deploy for next-generation heavy lifters and reusable launch systems.

If Astrophel’s turbo-pump demonstrates consistent thrust performance and durability through ISRO’s test regimen, it could become one of the first privately developed cryogenic propulsion subsystems to mature within India’s completely new space industrial framework.

In essence, Astrophel’s ongoing development of the cryogenic pump and its planned turbo-pump upgrade reflects the maturation of India’s private aerospace landscape, where start-ups are no longer confined to downstream services like satellite imaging or analytics, but are instead building the deep hardware foundations necessary for global competitiveness in launch.

The project represents a significant leap in indigenous engineering, connecting start-up innovation with national spaceflight priorities. Should the pump achieve certification and later commercialisation, it would not only advance Astrophel’s Astra C1 ambitions but also symbolically reinforce India’s claim as a genuine contender in the global propulsion and launch-vehicle export market.

IDN (With Agency Inputs)