Satellites don’t fail — they run out of fuel. An estimated 85% of GEO satellites are retired not from hardware failure but because they exhaust their propellant. OrbitAID Aerospace, a Bangalore-based startup, is building the infrastructure to change that.
At the core of their approach is the SIDRP — Standard Interface for Docking and Refuelling Port. Weighing under 250g, SIDRP integrates a fill/drain valve with a dual docking mechanism, supporting hydrazine, green propellants, electric propellants, and pressurant gases. The dual redundancy is deliberate: docking failures in orbit are not recoverable.
What makes OrbitAID’s architecture interesting is how it thinks about scale. Rather than a single large depot, they propose a peer-to-peer (P2P) network: a central fuel station replenishes dedicated tanker satellites, which then service client spacecraft within a defined servicing radius. For GEO — where a typical satellite carries around 1,000 kg of propellant and consumes 50–60 kg annually — a single refuelling visit could add five or more years of operational life. For LEO, a tanker satellite in the 500–700 kg class servicing two to three clients per mission around 550–600 km altitude may be the most practical entry point.
SIDRP also handles power transfer. The fuel station’s solar arrays — continuously sun-tracking via sun sensors — feed an MPPT system that routes surplus power to docked satellites. For satellites approaching end-of-life on their power systems, this matters as much as propellant.
Led by Founder and CEO Sakthikumar R., the startup recently closed a $1.5 million pre-seed round led by Unicorn India Ventures. Institutional confidence in the company is notable: the ISRO Chairman personally inaugurated OrbitAID’s new Bengaluru research facility, and the company received direct financial support from the Indian government’s Technology Development Board. Internationally, OrbitAID won the Indo-Australian MAITRI grant to deploy its interface in collaboration with Space Machines Company of Australia for an upcoming 2026 mission.
The AyulSAT loss in January 2026, following a PSLV rocket mishap, was a setback — but OrbitAID has since announced a twin-satellite RPOD mission to pick up where it left off, with commercial operations targeted by end-2027 or early 2028.
The question for the industry isn’t whether in-orbit refuelling will happen. It’s which interfaces and architectures become the standard. OrbitAID is making a clear bet on SIDRP as that answer.
Article Draft by: Benhur Santosh
References:
The Future of Space Infrastructure: Orbital Fuel Station for Extending Mission lifespan, GLEX 25 paper, Sakthikumar Ramachandran et al
https://iafastro.directory/iac/archive/browse/GLEX-2025/12/IP/93937/
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The Economic Times – Longevity for satellites: Chennai-based OrbitAID completes second zero-gravity mission for refuelling https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/technology/longevity-for-satellites-chennai-based-orbitaid-completes-second-zero-gravity-mission-for-refuelling/articleshow/
CIOL – ISRO Chairman inaugurates OrbitAID R&D facility for space startups https://www.ciol.com/startups/isro-chairman-inaugurates-orbitaid-rd-facility-for-space-startups-10472551/
ETTelecom (Economic Times) – ISRO Chairman unveils OrbitAID’s cutting-edge R&D facility in Bengaluru https://telecom.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/portal-in-portal/satcom/isro-chairman-unveils-orbitaids-cutting-edge-rd-facility-in-bengaluru-for-satellite-refueling-services/
BharatLinkr – OrbitAID Aerospace wins MAITRI grant to build India’s first in-orbit refuelling system https://www.bharatlinkr.com/orbitaid-aerospace-wins-maitri-grant-to-build-indias-first-in-orbit-refueling-system/
Analytics India Magazine – OrbitAID secures $1.5 million pre-seed funding for space refueling innovations https://analyticsindiamag.com/ai-news-updates/orbitaid-secures-1-5-million-pre-seed-funding-for-space-refueling-innovations/
National Herald India – ISRO will invite companies specialising in on-orbit servicing and refuelling tech: Chairman https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/national/isro-will-invite-companies-specialising-in-on-orbit-servicing-and-refueling-tech-chairman
Starburst Aero – OrbitAID Aerospace: taking space exploration to new heights https://starburst.aero/astra/news/orbitaid-aerospace-taking-space-exploration-to-new-heights/
Space Insider Tech – OrbitAID secures $1.5 million pre-seed funding round to advance on-orbit refueling and docking technology https://spaceinsider.tech/2025/01/15/orbitaid-secures-1-5m-in-pre-seed-funding-round-to-advance-on-orbit-refueling-and-docking-technology/
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