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Can EtherealX Become India’s SpaceX With Its Fully Reusable Rocket?
- EtherealX aims to become India's SpaceX by developing fully reusable rockets after learning from Falcon 9 failures.
- The startup plans to launch its first commercial rocket in 2027 targeting a share of the growing $44 billion Indian spacetech market.
- EtherealX was founded by Manu Nair, Shubhayu Sardar, and Prashanth Sharma, who identified the need for resilient launch infrastructure.
- The startup focuses on reusability, inspired by NASA's Space Shuttle program and SpaceX's progress with Falcon 9 rockets.
- EtherealX has conducted private tests of its launch vehicle engine and signed an agreement with In-Space for further testing with ISRO.
- The company raised $5 million in a seed round to continue testing its fully reusable launch vehicle.
- EtherealX has developed re-entry algorithms and a rocket engine feed cycle to enhance reusability and collect real-time data for improvement.
- With a $130 million order book from global satellite operators, EtherealX aims to charge $350-$2,000 per kg for its services.
- The startup plans to complete its test facility in Tamil Nadu and conduct upper stage cycle testing in the following year.
- EtherealX faces challenges in ensuring the safe recovery of the upper stage, a critical factor for its business model and profitability.
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