A FUEL STATION IN SPACE - Times of India
Summary
When it runs out of fuel, it veers off the orbit and becomes space debris even if the components are in fine shape. A Chennai-based startup is working on this concept to launch a series of fuel tanker satellites into space and eventually set up a fuel station there.OrbitAID Aerospace Pvt Ltd, founded in August 2021 by two engineering graduates, last week got a pre-seed funding of `4.5 crore from Tamil Nadu governments StartupTN and TANSIM.OrbitAID seeks to increase the longevity and functionality of satellites and reduce the need for frequent satellite replacements and subsequent launch missions. While initially I was sceptical about vast amounts being spent on satellite launches, later I understood that space science and technology can solve many problems of our earth.Hailing from a village in Perambalur district, Sakthikumar studied aeronautical engineering in a college in Karur and did his masters at BITS, Ranchi. We decided to focus on this area and develop a technology to refuel satellites while in orbit and ultimately build a chain of fuel stations in space, says Sakthikumar. At the end of their service, the satellites would be brought back to earth.OrbitAID is gearing for a demonstration mission later this year, possibly with Isros platform for docking and refueling.