- EtherealX, an Indian space startup, has secured $5 million in seed funding to develop fully reusable medium-lift launch vehicles, aiming to make satellite launches more cost-effective and time-efficient.
- Unlike SpaceX’s Falcon 9, which offers partial reusability, EtherealX plans to retrieve both the upper stage and booster, significantly reducing transportation costs and launch timeframes.
- Founded in 2022 by Manu J. Nair, Shubhayu Sardar, and Prashant Sharma, the Bengaluru-based startup aims to capture 30-40% of the market with its Razor Crest Mk-1 vehicle.
- EtherealX's proprietary rocket engine cycle and deployment system allow efficient operation in both vacuum and atmosphere, avoiding traditional reentry heat issues.
- The startup plans to launch a technology demonstrator vehicle by 2026 and has already identified 35 potential customers, with initial plans to serve 10-15 customers.
Source: https://techcrunch.com/2024/08/05/indias-etherealx-puts-5m-seed-toward-fully-reusable-launch-vehicles/
