European space startup picks ISRO's PSLV over Arianespace for 2024 test mission

ISRO has bagged another major mission from Europe which is targeted for launch in January 2024. The mission is for The Exploration Company, a two-year-old startup based in Munich which has ambitions to reach the Moon by 2028. The Exploration Company has inked a deal with the New Space India Limited (NSIL), ISRO's commercial arm, to launch its mission in January next year. As per the agreement, ISRO will offer its launch services using its trusted Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PLSV). 

ISRO outruns Arianespace's launch vehicle

ISRO successful launch missions for private entities have earned it the trust of foreign companies as they chose PSLV over Arianespace's Ariane 6 rocket. The mission was initially planned to launch aboard the three-stage Ariane 6 this year but hurdles in its development made The Exploration Company look elsewhere. 

[The PSLV-C56 rocket lifting off with seven satellites from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota on July 30, 2022. Image: ISRO)]

As for the mission, it is to test a small prototype name 'Bikini' which will be lofted to the low-Earth orbit for a re-entry. The company will test it technologies during the atmospheric re-entry following which the spacecraft burn up and its leftovers will fall into the seas. This will be followed by 'Mission Possible', a slightly larger prototype, that is targeted for launch in the fourth quater of 2024, per Tech Crunch. In 2026, it will launch its maiden flight and but is yet to chose a launch provider for the same. 

Prior to this, ISRO launched two batches of 36 satellites for Bharti Enterprise-backed OneWeb on October 23, 2022 and March 26 this year, completing the London-based company's internet-providing satellite constellation. 

The Exploration Company is also developing its 'Nyx' spacecraft which will be used to deliver cargo to the International Space Station (ISS) and eventually to the Moon later this decade. According to the firm, Nyx will deliver up to 4,000 kg of cargo to space at a cost of Rs 17.7 lakh per kg and eventually scale up for missions to the lunar surface with 2,000 kg of cargo. The spacecraft will also be capable of delivering 5,500 kg of cargo to the Lunar Gateway, a space station that will orbit the Moon.