Indo-German JV Launches SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket

An Indo-German manufacturing joint venture called Azista BST Aerospace started its first satellite on Tuesday aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket that took off from Florida in the United States.

Azista BST plans to build a 50,000-square-foot facility in Ahmedabad to create two satellites each week for the international market. A wide-swath optical remote sensing payload is carried by the company’s first satellite, ABA First Runner (AFR), which weighs 80 kg and was constructed on a modular bus chassis.

The Indian commercial space sector has produced AFR, the country’s first satellite of such size and performance. According to Azista BST, it is capable of serving a variety of crucial applications for both civilian and defence needs.

The debut of AFR heralds an exciting new phase in the support of satellite constellation realisation for numerous applications. In Ahmedabad, our manufacturing is already prepared to manufacture 10 of these satellites in 2024.

According to Srinivas Reddy Male, managing director of Azista BST Aerospace, “We are appreciative of the support from the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro), the Indian National Space Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe), and the Indian Space Association (ISpA) to enable us to reach this significant milestone.”

Azista Industries, an Indian company, controls 70 per cent of Azista BST Aerospace, with Berlin Space Technologies GmbH owning the other 30 per cent.