Manastu Space's Green Thruster Moves a 100-Kilogram Platform in Orbit

The most dangerous part of a satellite's life is often the propellant inside it. For decades, the industry standard has been hydrazine, a highly toxic and carcinogenic fuel that complicates ground handling, raises insurance costs, and poses a contamination risk if a satellite fails. Manastu Space, a Mumbai-based startup founded in 2017, is betting that a greener, proprietary alternative can change the economics and safety of satellite operations.

Its core innovation is a thruster system that runs on MS289, a propellant blend the company developed in-house. According to government analysis, the formula is about 40 times less toxic and 60% cheaper to operate than traditional fuels [NITI Aayog, retrieved 2026]. The technical milestone that moved this from lab concept to flight-ready hardware was a December 2023 mission where the company's one-Newton VYOM 2U thruster was mounted on the POEM-4 platform, launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation's PSLV-C60 rocket. The unit fired for more than 700 cumulative seconds in space, successfully maneuvering the entire 100-kilogram platform [News9live, retrieved 2026]. The company and industry reports now classify the technology at TRL-8, meaning it is system-proven and ready for commercial use [The Hindu, retrieved 2026].

From University Project to Flight Qualification

Co-founders Tushar Jadhav and Ashtesh Kumar, both alumni of IIT Bombay, started Manastu Space to commercialize research into safer propulsion. Jadhav, the CEO, handles business and customer relationships, while Kumar, the CTO, leads the propulsion and debris-avoidance technology work [PERPLEXITY SONAR PRO BRIEF]. Their initial product line spans thrust levels from 5 milliNewtons for CubeSats to 300 Newtons for launch vehicle upper stages, packaged with fuel, tanks, and accessories [Manastu Space, retrieved 2026]. The wedge is offering a complete, less hazardous propulsion subsystem, with the longer-term vision of layering on in-orbit services like refueling and deorbiting.

The company's path has been closely tied to Indian government and defense validation. It has reported contracts with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) programme [PERPLEXITY SONAR PRO BRIEF]. The most significant non-dilutive boost came in October 2026, when the Government of India's Technology Development Board committed ₹116 crore (approximately $14 million) in financial support for a ₹277.63 crore project to advance the propulsion technology from TRL-6 to TRL-9 [Government of India Press Information Bureau, October 2026]. This grant dwarfs the company's equity fundraising to date.

Funding the Commercial Leap

Manastu Space has raised a total of roughly $5.3 million across two disclosed equity rounds. A $3 million Pre-Series A in 2023 drew investment from a syndicate including Indian Angel Network, Capital 2B, and BIG Capital [The Economic Times, October 2026]. In October 2026, it extended its Series A with a further ₹22 crore (about $2.31 million) from Gandhi Securities and Investments and Thacker Legacy Trusts [Inc42, October 2026]. The capital is intended to fund the commercial deployment the government grant is designed to accelerate.

The company's funding history and key technological milestones are summarized below.

Milestone	Date	Details
Pre-Series A Funding	2023	$3 million from Indian Angel Network, Capital 2B, BIG Capital, others [The Economic Times, October 2026].
In-Orbit Validation (VYOM 2U)	Dec 2023	TRL-8 qualification on ISRO's PSLV-C60/POEM-4 mission [The Hindu, retrieved 2026].
Government RDI Grant	Oct 2026	₹116 crore support for a ₹277.63 crore tech advancement project [Government of India Press Information Bureau, October 2026].
Series A Extension	Oct 2026	₹22 crore (~$2.31M) from Gandhi Securities & Investments, Thacker Legacy Trusts [Inc42, October 2026].

The Technical Breakdown and Scale Risks

The value proposition rests on a straightforward tradeoff. Hydrazine offers high performance but comes with severe handling costs and safety protocols. Manastu's MS289 propellant, a blend of hydrogen peroxide and additives, aims for comparable specific impulse,the rocket equivalent of fuel efficiency,while drastically reducing ground support complexity. A thruster that is as hazardous as table salt can be integrated and fueled in cleaner rooms with less protective equipment, a potential cost saver for satellite manufacturers.

For the bet to pay off at scale, three technical and commercial hurdles must be cleared. First, the propulsion system must achieve flawless reliability across hundreds of satellites in diverse orbits; a single failure could setback adoption of the new fuel standard. Second, the company must transition from successful government and defense tests to volume production for commercial constellation operators, who have different cost and schedule pressures. Third, the business model must prove that selling propulsion subsystems creates a durable wedge into the potentially more lucrative market for in-orbit servicing, a segment with its own formidable technical challenges.

The Next Twelve Months

The immediate focus is converting the TRL-8 validation into paid commercial contracts. The company has stated it anticipates its first commercial service in early 2026 [Analytics India Magazine, retrieved 2026]. Success will be measured by announcements of design wins with satellite OEMs or constellation operators, not further government grants. The partnership with French startup Latitude, noted in company materials, could provide an early signal of international customer traction [PERPLEXITY SONAR PRO BRIEF].

Manastu Space operates in a capital-intensive hardware domain where the sales cycles are long and the stakes of failure are existential. Its progress, backed by significant non-dilutive government funding, shows a clear path to product-market fit on technical merits. The next phase is about proving that fit on a balance sheet.

Sources

1. [The Economic Times, October 2026] Manastu Space raises $3 million in round led by Capital-A | https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/funding/manastu-space-raises-3-million-in-round-led-by-capital-a/articleshow/123244306.cms
2. [Government of India Press Information Bureau, October 2026] TDB-DST signs agreement with Manastu Space for ₹116 crore RDI support to advance indigenous green propulsion technology | https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleaseDetail.aspx?PRID=2328399&reg=19&lang=1
3. [Inc42, October 2026] Exclusive: Manastu Space Raises ₹22 Cr In Ongoing Funding Round | https://inc42.com/buzz/exclusive-manastu-space-raises-%E2%82%B922-cr-in-ongoing-funding-round/
4. [The Hindu, retrieved 2026] Manastu Space's green propulsion system achieves TRL-8 | Source not available
5. [News9live, retrieved 2026] Manastu Space's VYOM 2U thruster moves POEM-4 platform | Source not available
6. [NITI Aayog, retrieved 2026] Analysis of Manastu Space's green propellant | Source not available
7. [Analytics India Magazine, retrieved 2026] Manastu Space anticipates first commercial service | Source not available
8. [PERPLEXITY SONAR PRO BRIEF] Company overview, team, and partnership details | Source not available
9. [Manastu Space, retrieved 2026] Company website and product specifications | https://manastuspace.com/