New Space Systems Design Lab In Ahmedabad To Help Space Startups Turn Innovative Ideas To Finished Product

The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe) has established a new state-of-the-art space systems design lab for the benefit of startups at its headquarters in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.

The setting up of this new lab comes just two weeks after the announcement of a seed fund scheme to support Indian space startups in early stages.

IN-SPACe is a single-window, independent, nodal agency under the Department of Space that facilitates private sector participation in Indian space activities.

It was established in October 2021 as the logical next step after the roll-out of space sector reforms in June 2020, which principally opened the doors of the Indian space sector to private players.

The agency said it made the decision to set up the space systems design lab after it found enthusiastic space startups reaching out to them with innovative ideas.

“As a key enabler,” and so that these startups get a headstart, IN-SPACe says it took it upon itself to “create a unique platform that provides a one stop solution to foster and transform their innovations into a full-fledged space product.”

The design lab is equipped with high-end simulation tools that would be useful for a wide variety of purposes — space mission planning and analysis, three-dimensional radio frequency structure modelling and electromagnetic simulation, thermal systems modelling, analysis, and simulation, and so on. (The digital brochure provides the particulars.)

Startups that wish to carry out mission-specific analyses and simulations would have access to these advanced tools, which are backed up by high-performance computing (HPC) systems. The computing resources include 16 workstations and HPC servers.

Thanks to the design lab, the startups will “be able to verify and visualise their designs before metal cutting as well as validate the test results of the fabricated product with minimum turnaround time,” IN-SPACe says.

The lab is set to be inaugurated on 28 March, with the Secretary to the Department of Space, S Somanath, IN-SPACe Chairman Pawan K Goenka, and the Chief Secretary to the Government of Gujarat, Raj Kumar, in attendance.

The design lab will be housed within the IN-SPACe Technical Center in Bopal, Ahmedabad.

IN-SPACe announced on 14 March a seed fund scheme towards its goal of developing and promoting the private space sector in India.

The scheme involves a grant of up to Rs 1 crore. It will support startups that are in the process of developing “innovative space products and services that can improve the quality of life of people and communities in India and around the world,” IN-SPACe said.

The agency said it will announce opportunities under the seed fund scheme on its website from time to time. The first announcement of opportunities is expected to come in towards the end of this month.

As many as 770 non-government entity users are registered on the IN-SPACe digital platform.