India's Private Space Sector Unleashes Rocket Power as New Spaceport Opens

Bengaluru startup Astrobase Space Technologies unveiled EVEREST, India's first privately built 800 kN Full-Flow Staged Combustion (FFSC) rocket engine, joining an elite global club of just four nations — alongside SpaceX (US), Stoke Space (US), and Land Space (China) — to master this "holy grail" of propulsion. The LOX-methane engine powers Astrobase's planned reusable launch vehicle targeting a December 2028 first flight, with hot-fire testing beginning this year.

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