The seventh edition of the Bengaluru Space Expo (BSX) is showcasing the products of 145 private and public sector companies in the space sector.
The three-day expo, which started on Monday, is being held at the BIEC (Bengaluru International Exhibition Centre) on Tumakuru Road.
The Indian and foreign companies have been contributing various components to space missions, including that of ISRO. The components include high-precision hardware for spacecraft, software to guide missions, telescopes and high-resolution cameras for space research, 3D-printed prototypes for testing, etc.
BSX is a biennial event being held since 2008. In the context of India recently opening up the space sector to private companies, the expo is also an avenue for private players to network and explore partnership opportunities with both private and public sectors.
In addition to regular players, the expo also features Indian startups. One of them is Pixxel, a Bengaluru-based company that has developed hyperspectral cameras to capture around 200 bands of visible and infrared light. “These cameras can take images that are of much higher resolution than those currently used in satellites. We also analyse the images and send data back to our clients,” says Neeraj Gadi, Satellite Production Engineer at Pixxel.
Gorakhpur-based startup Abyom Spacetech and Defence are developing reusable rocket launch vehicles with the support of the government agency IN-SPACe (Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre).
“Usually, after launch, the booster stage of the rocket will be splashed in the ocean or burned. We are planning to land it instead so that it can be reused. This will reduce costs in the long run,” said Nirvith Chowdhary, Technology Head, Abyom.
“VSSC has verified our design, and now it needs to be tested. Once we start manufacturing, we will supply to various clients.”
Some other startups, like Dhruva Space Pvt Ltd which develops small satellite systems, are also being supported and authorised by ISRO and other government agencies.
The expo also had a stall by the Indian Technology Congress Association which has been supporting school and college students to build and deploy small satellites. ISRO’s large stall drew a lot of attention as well.