NEW DELHI: In a boost to the Indian space startup industry, Gujarat-based aerospace firm Azista BST Aerospace launched its maiden satellite, Azista BST Aerospace First Runner (AFR), also called ABA First Runner, on Tuesday. The satellite was launched as part of the Elon Musk-led SpaceX Transporter-8 mission, atop a Falcon 9 rocket, from Space Launch Complex 4E, Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, at 2.49am (IST).
Azista BST Aerospace is an Indo-German satellite manufacturing joint venture floated by India’s Azista Industries Pvt. Ltd (70% stake) and Berlin Space Technologies GmbH (30% stake).
AFR is equipped with an optical remote sensing payload with both panchromatic and multispectral imaging capabilities. The satellite will provide a panchromatic image with 5-metre resolution with a swath of 70km. It is the first satellite of its size and performance built by the private space industry in India, capable of supporting various critical applications for civilian and defence purposes.
Company MD Srinivas Reddy Male, in a statement, said the “launch of AFR marks an exciting beginning to support the realisation of satellite constellations for various applications”.
In the first reaction from the industry, Lt Gen AK Bhatt (retd), director general of Indian Space Association (ISpA), said, “This accomplishment not only showcases India’s unwavering dedication to the vision of an Atmanirbhar Bharat, but also marks a significant landmark for the Indian space industry in terms of streamlined production of satellites, great precision on supply chain management and timelines. The satellite launched today will enable a variety of critical applications for civilian and defence purposes.” “This is also a big milestone for the Indian space startup ecosystem as it takes our private industry into the next leap of International collaborations. At ISpA, we take great pride in having Azista-BST as an esteemed member of our association, contributing to the advancement of the growing space industry in India,” he further said.
In Tuesday’s mission, Falcon 9 rocket launched a total of 72 spacecraft as part of Transporter-8, including cubesats, microsats, a re-entry capsule, and orbital transfer vehicles carrying spacecraft to be deployed at a later time.
Azista is pioneer in design, development and manufacturing satellite and satcom application products for mass applications. It also manufactures satellite sub-systems like RF telemetry, TT&C transceiver, solar panels, RF & DC cables and harness. Its team is experienced with INSAT, GSAT, RISAT, IRNSS series of Isro satellite payload, ground checkout systems and automatic test equipment systems for mass production.
Azista BST Aerospace is an Indo-German satellite manufacturing joint venture floated by India’s Azista Industries Pvt. Ltd (70% stake) and Berlin Space Technologies GmbH (30% stake).
AFR is equipped with an optical remote sensing payload with both panchromatic and multispectral imaging capabilities. The satellite will provide a panchromatic image with 5-metre resolution with a swath of 70km. It is the first satellite of its size and performance built by the private space industry in India, capable of supporting various critical applications for civilian and defence purposes.
Company MD Srinivas Reddy Male, in a statement, said the “launch of AFR marks an exciting beginning to support the realisation of satellite constellations for various applications”.
In the first reaction from the industry, Lt Gen AK Bhatt (retd), director general of Indian Space Association (ISpA), said, “This accomplishment not only showcases India’s unwavering dedication to the vision of an Atmanirbhar Bharat, but also marks a significant landmark for the Indian space industry in terms of streamlined production of satellites, great precision on supply chain management and timelines. The satellite launched today will enable a variety of critical applications for civilian and defence purposes.” “This is also a big milestone for the Indian space startup ecosystem as it takes our private industry into the next leap of International collaborations. At ISpA, we take great pride in having Azista-BST as an esteemed member of our association, contributing to the advancement of the growing space industry in India,” he further said.
In Tuesday’s mission, Falcon 9 rocket launched a total of 72 spacecraft as part of Transporter-8, including cubesats, microsats, a re-entry capsule, and orbital transfer vehicles carrying spacecraft to be deployed at a later time.
Azista is pioneer in design, development and manufacturing satellite and satcom application products for mass applications. It also manufactures satellite sub-systems like RF telemetry, TT&C transceiver, solar panels, RF & DC cables and harness. Its team is experienced with INSAT, GSAT, RISAT, IRNSS series of Isro satellite payload, ground checkout systems and automatic test equipment systems for mass production.
