India’s space ambitions are increasingly being powered by something less visible than rockets and satellites: the critical components that keep them running.
Hyderabad-based spacetech startup TakeMe2Space has achieved a significant milestone with its PowerBank-50, which has become the country’s first indigenously developed satellite battery to earn flight heritage after successfully operating in space. The milestone was achieved during the maiden mission of Skyroot Aerospace’s Vikram-1 rocket, launched on July 18.
The battery powered an experimental payload developed by Cosmoserve Space aboard the rocket’s Orbital Adjustment Module at an altitude of around 450 km. Its successful operation in orbit gives the product something that laboratory testing alone cannot provide: demonstrated performance in an actual space environment.
Why a Battery Is a Big Deal in Space
A satellite may be built around sophisticated sensors, communication systems and computing hardware, but none of them can function without reliable power.
Satellites generate electricity from solar panels when they are exposed to sunlight. During periods when they pass through Earth’s shadow, batteries provide the power needed to keep onboard systems operating.
That makes the battery a mission-critical component. Failure can potentially compromise an entire mission.
PowerBank-50 is designed with high-energy-density lithium-ion cells, an intelligent battery management system, integrated heaters and a lightweight aluminium enclosure intended to withstand the vibration, vacuum, radiation and temperature extremes associated with spaceflight. The unit stores more than 50 Wh of energy and weighs about 380 grams, with the company positioning it for CubeSat and microsatellite missions in low-Earth orbit.
From Import Dependence to Indigenous Capability
The significance of the development extends beyond one battery.
Indian satellite developers have historically relied on imported battery systems, creating exposure to higher costs and longer procurement timelines. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman highlighted precisely this issue while congratulating TakeMe2Space, noting that Indian satellite builders had largely depended on imports for the critical component.
A flight-proven Indian alternative could therefore have implications across the country’s growing private space ecosystem.
For startups, universities and research institutions developing smaller spacecraft, access to locally developed and flight-proven components could potentially lower procurement barriers and shorten development cycles.
The Importance of “Flight Heritage”
In space technology, proving that a component works on Earth is only the beginning.
Hardware must survive launch vibrations and then operate reliably in the vacuum of space, under radiation and extreme temperature variations. This is why flight heritage carries significant value in the space industry.
The successful Vikram-1 mission gives PowerBank-50 a track record that can strengthen its credibility with satellite manufacturers, launch providers and insurers.
The achievement also comes alongside the growing role of India’s private space sector. Vikram-1’s mission marked a major milestone for Skyroot Aerospace, while TakeMe2Space’s battery demonstrated that the ecosystem is beginning to develop not just launch vehicles and satellites, but the specialised components that sit inside them.
Building the Space Supply Chain, One Component at a Time
India’s space story is often told through headline achievements: rockets, lunar missions, navigation systems and satellites.
But a globally competitive space economy requires something broader — a domestic supply chain capable of producing the many components that make those missions possible.
The PowerBank-50 milestone is significant in that context.
It is not simply about replacing an imported battery.
It is about demonstrating that critical space hardware can be designed, manufactured and proven in India.
As India’s private space ecosystem expands, these seemingly small pieces of the technology stack could become increasingly important to the country’s larger ambition of building a competitive and self-reliant space industry.
The rocket may make the headlines.
But sometimes, the real story is what keeps it powered.
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