Bengaluru FFSC Rocket Engine technology marks a major milestone for India’s private space sector, with Astrobase Space Technologies developing the country’s first domestically integrated 80-tonne-class LOX-methane Full-Flow Staged Combustion engine. Bengaluru FFSC Rocket Engine development by space-tech startup Astrobase Space Technologies marks a significant step for India’s private aerospace industry. The company is developing an 80-tonne-class liquid oxygen-methane Full-Flow Staged Combustion engine, one of the most advanced liquid-propellant engine technologies. FFSC engines use two preburners to drive separate turbines, allowing both fuel and oxidiser to pass through the turbines before entering the main combustion chamber. This design can improve efficiency, thrust and reusability, but it is technically difficult because it involves high pressures, temperatures and reactive oxygen-rich gases. Founded in 2024, Bengaluru-based Astrobase was established by IIT Bombay alumnus Neeraj Khandelwal and former ISRO propulsion scientist Devakumar Thammisetty. The startup has already conducted sub-scale engine and turbopump tests and is scaling manufacturing across Bengaluru and Anantapur.
Bengaluru FFSC Rocket Engine: Why India’s First Matters
