Aule Space Develops 'Jetpack' Spacecraft to Extend Satellites' Lifespan in Orbit
Indian spacetech startup builds autonomous docking propulsion modules to rescue fuel-depleted communication satellites, potentially saving operators hundreds of millions.
- Aule Space raised $2 Million in early-stage funding to develop an auxiliary 'jetpack' spacecraft for geostationary communication satellites.
- The spacecraft docks with fuel-depleted satellites to take over station-keeping and attitude control, extending mission life by 5 to 8 years.
- Services satellites at an estimated 60% lower cost than equivalent Western on-orbit servicing architectures.
- Leveraging IN-SPACe test infrastructure in India, targeting an in-orbit demonstration flight by late 2027.
Commercial communication satellites orbiting in Geostationary Equatorial Orbit (GEO) represent massive capital investments of $200 Million to $500 Million each. Yet, dozens of fully operational spacecraft are decommissioned every decade simply because their onboard chemical propellant runs out, leaving functioning transponders and electronics stranded in orbit.
Indian spacetech startup Aule Space is addressing this multi-billion-dollar orbital problem by developing an autonomous 'jetpack' spacecraft designed to rendezvous, dock with, and provide auxiliary propulsion for aging satellites.
Having raised $2 Million in seed capital from frontier tech venture funds, Aule Space is engineering a compact, highly maneuverable propulsion module equipped with vision-guided autonomous rendezvous and proximity operations (RPO) docking mechanisms.
Once securely attached to the client satellite’s apogee kick motor ring, the Aule craft assumes all orbital station-keeping, momentum dumping, and collision avoidance maneuvers, granting the host satellite an additional 5 to 8 years of operational commercial life.
Founders highlighted that by utilizing domestic aerospace supply chains and Indian engineering talent, Aule Space can offer life-extension missions at a fraction of the cost commanded by legacy American and European aerospace contractors.
With orbital sustainability and space debris mitigation taking center stage at international space forums, Aule Space’s orbital servicing technology positions India at the frontier of the emerging commercial in-orbit economy.