Hyderabad‑based spacetech startup Stardour, currently operating in stealth mode, has successfully completed a test fire of India’s first hydrogen‑oxygen propulsion engine, developed entirely in-house and conducted at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru.
The engine is intended to power Lucas, Stardour’s upcoming Orbital Transfer Vehicle (OTV), scheduled for a maiden launch in Q3 2027. Lucas is being designed to support both scientific and commercial payloads in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), Geostationary Orbit (GEO), and future missions to the Moon and Mars.
“This successful test fire is not just a technical milestone; it’s a signal to the world that India is ready to lead in the new era of sustainable and autonomous in-space logistics. We are proud to be working alongside academic pioneers at IISc Bangalore and drawing from the country’s rich talent pool in aerospace and research,” said Mr. Rama Rao, Director of Stardour.
“Stardour’s recent achievement—the successful test fire of its hydrogen-oxygen engine—is a testament to its commitment to green propulsion technology and innovation in reusable spacecraft,” said Mr. Pratikash Panda, Professor at IISC.
Stardour’s technical team includes former ISRO scientists and researchers from India’s top aerospace institutions. The company states that this propulsion engine test and the upcoming Lucas launch align with its broader roadmap to deliver sustainable, scalable in‑space transportation and deep‑space logistics capabilities.
Founded in Hyderabad, Stardour is developing Lucas, a modular OTV designed to provide green, reusable orbital mobility for commercial and scientific missions. The hydrogen‑oxygen engine breakthrough reinforces the startup’s positioning at the forefront of sustainable propulsion systems and in‑orbit logistics.