EVEREST: India's First Privately Built LOX-Methane FFSC Rocket Engine
Science & Technology · Monday, 10 August 2026
Bengaluru-based space start-up Astrobase Space Technologies unveiled EVEREST, an indigenous 800 kN Full-Flow Staged Combustion (FFSC) LOX-Methane engine. Built using 3D metal printing, it is designed for reusable medium-lift launch vehicles.
Quick highlights
- 800 kN (80-tonne class) Full-Flow Staged Combustion (FFSC) liquid rocket engine.
- Propellant: Liquid Oxygen (LOX) oxidizer and Liquid Methane fuel (Methalox).
- Manufactured using advanced metal 3D-printing (additive manufacturing) technology.
- Developed by Astrobase Space Technologies, founded by former ISRO scientist Devakumar Thammisetty and Neeraj Khandelwal.
- Engineered for next-generation, reusable medium-lift satellite launch vehicles.
Context
Space startup Astrobase Space Technologies unveiled EVEREST, India's first privately built 800 kN Full-Flow Staged Combustion LOX-Methane rocket engine.
Key Facts
Methalox (LOX + Methane) provides high specific impulse, burns cleanly without soot buildup, and is ideal for reusable launch vehicles. The FFSC cycle maximizes efficiency by running full propellant flow through turbopumps.
Significance
Positions India's private space industry alongside elite global space firms, supporting cost-effective reusable launch infrastructure.
Challenges / Way Forward
Moving from static design presentation to extensive hot-fire ground testing, flight qualification, and commercial payload integration.
Exam Angle
Relevant for GS-III (Science & Tech - Indigenization of Technology, Space Innovations, Private Sector in Defence & Space).
Remember this
- Engine Cycle: Full-Flow Staged Combustion (FFSC).
- Propellants: Liquid Oxygen (LOX) and Liquid Methane (Methalox).
- Thrust class: 800 kN (~80 tonnes).
- Developed by: Astrobase Space Technologies (Bengaluru).
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