The satellite was launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California as part of Elon Musk’s SpaceX rideshare mission, taking off from Space Launch Complex 4E.
Jun 13, 2023
As part of the Transporter-8 Mission, Azista BST Aerospace, an Indian company, successfully deployed its inaugural satellite named ABA First Runner (AFR) into orbit using the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. With the successful mission, the company is on track to establish India as a center for mass satellite manufacturing, furthering its goal of becoming a hub in the industry.
The satellite was launched as part of Elon Musk’s SpaceX rideshare mission from Space Launch Complex 4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. India’s AFR satellite was accompanied by a total of 72 spacecraft, comprising CubeSats, MicroSats, an orbital transfer vehicle, and a re-entry capsule, on the rocket. Built on a modular bus platform, the 80-kilogram satellite incorporates a wide-swath optical remote sensing payload that offers panchromatic and multispectral imaging capabilities.
According to a statement by the company, the AFR satellite is a pioneering achievement in India’s private space industry, being the first of its size and performance to support a range of crucial applications for both civilian and defence purposes. With a 50,000-square-foot facility in Ahmedabad, the company asserts its production capacity to be a minimum of two satellites per week.
Azista Industries Private Limited from Hyderabad and Berlin Space Technologies GmBH from Berlin are collaborating in Ahmedabad to establish an exceptional production facility for small satellites, aiming to bring about significant advancements. This marks the inception of India’s first private-scale satellite production house and one of the pioneering satellite production lines globally. In the words of one of the BST founders, it signifies a revolutionary moment similar to Henry Ford’s impact on automobiles. Its applications encompass a wide range of fields including satellites, optical payloads, aerospace, aerospace manufacturing, image processing, satellite imagery, and satellite manufacturing.
Director Sunil Indurti expressed that Azista BST Aerospace welcomes researchers and organizations who are keen on leveraging fresh satellite data for diverse geospatial applications to reach out and make the most of this thrilling opportunity.
In response to the accomplished mission, Lt. Gen. AK Bhatt (Retd), the Director General of the Indian Space Association (ISpA), acknowledged that the launched satellite will facilitate a multitude of crucial applications for both civilian and defense purposes. He also emphasized that this achievement signifies a significant milestone for India’s space startup ecosystem, propelling the private industry towards enhanced international collaboration.
Expressing pride, the Director General of the Indian Space Association (ISpA) stated that Azista-BST holds a significant position within the association, actively contributing to the progress of India’s burgeoning space industry. Azista BST Aerospace revealed its commitment to developing a new series of satellites, showcasing its versatile payload capabilities through modular satellite buses. The company also announced plans to launch several of these satellites over the next two years.
