Bellatrix Aerospace

Bellatrix Aerospace is a Bengaluru-based spacetech startup founded in 2015 by Rohan M Ganapathy (CEO) and Yashas Karanam (COO). Specialises in advanced in-space mobility: electric propulsion (Hall Eff

spaceindia-oemOperationalTier A
Country: IN

Last verified:

At a Glance

Headquarters
Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
Type
Company (listed)
Founded
2015 (by Rohan M Ganapathy, Yashas Karanam and Prashanth Sharma — started as student startup)
India entity
null
Listed
Not listed — private startup; total funding $34.4M across 6 rounds (per Tracxn Aug 2026)
Key India role
Bellatrix Aerospace is a Bengaluru-based spacetech startup founded in 2015 by Rohan M Ganapathy (CEO) and Yashas Karanam (COO). Specialises in advanced in-space mobility: electric propulsion (Hall Eff
indicators
[]
key specs
[]

What It Is

Bellatrix Aerospace is a Bengaluru-based spacetech startup founded in 2015 by Rohan M Ganapathy (CEO) and Yashas Karanam (COO). Specialises in advanced in-space mobility: electric propulsion (Hall Effect Thrusters) and Orbital Transfer Vehicles. Flagship products: Arka Hall Effect Thruster (HET) family — including the 200W Arka which houses world's first heaterless hollow cathode in space (Jan 2024), and Rudra (higher-power variant). Pushpak Orbital Transfer Vehicle (OTV) — multi-mission platform carrying CubeSats/small sats up to 750 kg, partnered with NSIL (Oct 2024) to integrate Pushpak into NSIL's future launch missions. Total funding $34.4M; latest $20M Pre-Series B (Mar 2026) led by Cactus Partners. Also partnering with Korean optical payload manufacturer TelePIX on a VLEO demo satellite (launch NET 2028).

Sources: [1][2][3][4][5]

Deployments & Procurement

6 documented India deployment(s)/procurement(s).

AgencyContextYearQuantity / NoteSources
MultipleArka 200W Hall Effect Thruster successfully tested (Jan 2024) — world's first heaterless hollow cathode in space2024—[1][2][3]
MultipleNSIL–Bellatrix partnership (Oct 2024): Pushpak OTV to be integrated into NSIL's future launch missions2024—[1][2][3]
MultipleKorean VLEO demo satellite partnership with TelePIX — launch NET 20282028—[1][2][3]
Multiple$20M Pre-Series B funding round (Mar 2026) led by Cactus Partners — total raised $34.4M across 6 rounds2026—[1][2][3]
MultipleSeries A $8M (Jun 2022); Pre-Series B $20M (Mar 2026)2022—[1][2][3]
MultipleArka HET portfolio expansion announced (Mar 2026) — satnow coverage of advanced satellite propulsion systems2026—[1][2][3]

Import Dependencies

Not analysed in this dossier.

Intelligence Assessment

Methodology: /research/methodology/

India footprint
Documented/5

15 sources with India-specific evidence.

Sources: [1][2][3][4]

Indigenous content
Not disclosed/5

Indigenous percentage not publicly verified.

Sources: [1][2][3]

Operational status
Operational/5

Based on latest public sources as of 2026-08-30.

Sources: [1][2][3]

Source quality
High/5

3 official, 7 credible sources.

Sources: [1][2][3]

FAQ

What is Bellatrix Aerospace's flagship propulsion product?

The Arka Hall Effect Thruster (HET) family — 200W variant with world's first heaterless hollow cathode in space, tested Jan 2024

Sources: [1][2][3]

What is Bellatrix's Orbital Transfer Vehicle called?

Pushpak — multi-mission platform for CubeSats/small sats up to 750 kg, partnered with NSIL (Oct 2024) for integration into future NSIL launch missions

Sources: [1][2][3]

Who founded Bellatrix Aerospace and when?

Rohan M Ganapathy (CEO), Yashas Karanam (COO) and Prashanth Sharma founded Bellatrix in 2015 in Bengaluru as a student startup

Sources: [1][2][3]

Sources

  1. src-01Indicative
    Bellatrix Aerospace — complete satellite propulsion partner (Electric, Hall Effect Thruster); Arka thrusters for extended life
    Bellatrix Aerospace Official·accessed 2026-08-30

    Domain root only; demoted to indicative per Atlas source-quality rule.

  2. src-02Credible
    Bellatrix established 2015; raised $8M Series A in June 2022 for in-space propulsion development; HQ Bengaluru
    Wikipedia·accessed 2026-08-30
  3. src-03Official
    Arka Hall Effect Thrusters — Bellatrix pioneering electric propulsion with 10+ years experience
    Bellatrix Aerospace Official·accessed 2026-08-30
  4. src-04Official
    200W Arka HET — world's first heaterless hollow cathode in space; major breakthrough (Jan 4 2024)
    Bellatrix Aerospace Official·2024-01-04·accessed 2026-08-30
  5. src-05Credible
    Arka HET platform designed for high-efficiency electric propulsion; Pushpak OTV designed for in-space mobility
    SatNow·2026-03-05·accessed 2026-08-30
  6. src-06Official
    Electric propulsion uses electricity to ionize and accelerate gas for satellite propulsion
    Bellatrix Aerospace Official·accessed 2026-08-30
  7. src-07Credible
    Bengaluru firm Bellatrix's Pushpak Orbital Transfer Vehicle teamed up with NSIL to integrate into NSIL launch missions
    Times of India·2024-10-09·accessed 2026-08-30
  8. src-08Credible
    Bellatrix's Pushpak OTV — multi-mission spacecraft for in-orbit manoeuvring; flexible deployment into various orbits
    Deccan Herald·2024-10-09·accessed 2026-08-30
  9. src-09Credible
    Bellatrix Aerospace teaming up with Korean optical payload manufacturer TelePIX on VLEO demo satellite launching NET 2028
    Payload Space·accessed 2026-08-30
  10. src-10Credible
    Bellatrix Aerospace raised $20M in Pre-Series B led by Cactus Partners
    Reuters·2026-03-28·accessed 2026-08-30
  11. src-11Credible
    Bellatrix Aerospace raised $20M Pre-Series B led by Cactus Partners — Bengaluru spacetech startup
    Entrackr·2026-03-27·accessed 2026-08-30
  12. src-12Indicative
    Bellatrix Aerospace raised $34.4M total funding across 6 rounds; first funding Aug 30 2017
    Tracxn·2026-08-27·accessed 2026-08-30
  13. src-13Indicative
    Bellatrix Aerospace located in Bengaluru, Karnataka, India — 24 investors
    Crunchbase·accessed 2026-08-30
  14. src-14Indicative
    Bellatrix successfully tested India's first privately developed Hall-effect thruster for small satellites
    r/ISRO Reddit·accessed 2026-08-30
  15. src-15Indicative
    Founded 2015; specialties Electric Propulsion; co-founder Yashas Karanam represented at TechSparks2025
    LinkedIn·accessed 2026-08-30

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