Hyderabad Innovation Powers Space as Indigenous Satellite Battery Proves Itself in Orbit

HYDERABAD: A satellite battery developed in Hyderabad has successfully operated in orbit for the first time. The milestone gives Indian satellite manufacturers a locally built alternative to a component they have long imported.

said its commercially available PowerBank-50, a 50 Wh battery pack, powered an experimental payload from Cosmoserve Space aboard Skyroot Aerospace's Vikram-1 Mission 'Aagaman'. The mission lifted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota on July 18.

The battery powered the payload on the rocket's Orbital Adjustment Module at an altitude of 450 km. It also withstood launch vibration, shock, vacuum conditions and extreme temperature changes in orbit. As a result, the mission gave the battery "flight heritage", an industry term for hardware that has successfully operated in space.

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"Every satellite mission lives or dies by its power system, which is why nobody wants to be the first to fly a new battery," said TakeMe2Space founder and chief executive officer Ronak Kumar Samantray. He added that the battery's performance at 450 km confirmed it is ready for use by satellite manufacturers.

Power system built for CubeSats and microsatellites

Satellite batteries keep spacecraft running when they pass through the Earth's shadow and solar panels cannot generate electricity. Therefore, battery reliability is critical because a failure can jeopardise an entire mission.

According to TakeMe2Space, the 380 g PowerBank-50 stores more than 50 Wh of energy in a unit about the size of a paperback book. It uses lithium-ion cells, an onboard battery management system, integrated heaters for low-temperature operation and an aluminium enclosure.

In addition, multiple battery packs can be combined for use in CubeSats and microsatellites. The company has designed the battery for a mission life of up to five years in low Earth orbit.

Local production may reduce import dependence

TakeMe2Space has priced the off-the-shelf PowerBank-50 at ₹1,04,900. The company said local production could reduce dependence on imported battery packs. It could also lower procurement costs and shorten delivery timelines.

Moreover, a flight-tested, locally manufactured battery could help startups, universities and research organisations. These users would gain access to an indigenous power system that has already proven its performance in orbit.

In the future, such batteries could support satellites used for weather monitoring, disaster warning, navigation, communications, agriculture and water resource surveys.