Startup Astrobase unveils India's first full-flow rocket engine Everest

The methane-powered engine uses one of the most advanced rocket propulsion designs and is being developed for a future reusable orbital rocket.Astrobase workers work on the new Everest engine. (Photo: Astrobase/Screengrab)India’s private space sector has crossed another important milestone, with Bengaluru-based startup Astrobase Space Technologies unveiling a complete, ready-to-test full-flow staged combustion rocket engine that has been built entirely in India.Called Everest, the 80-tonne-class engine uses liquid oxygen and liquid methane, a combination known as methalox, and is designed to produce about 800 kilonewtons of thrust in the vacuum of space.That is roughly equivalent to the force needed to lift 80 tonnes.What makes the engine particularly significant is its full-flow staged combustion design, a highly advanced approach used in SpaceX’s Starship engines. EVEREST — India’s first full-flow staged combustion (FFSC) rocket engine.80-tonne class. Fully integrated. Designed and manufactured in Bengaluru, India. pic.twitter.com/F8fjCsFntk— Astrobase Space (@astrobase_space) August 7, 2026 WHAT IS FULL-FLOW COMBUSTION, AND WHY IS IT SPECIAL?In a conventional rocket engine, some of the hot gases produced during combustion are used to power the turbopumps that push fuel and oxidiser into the main combustion chamber.A full-flow engine takes this a step further. Both the fuel and oxygen are first partially burned in separate pre-burners, producing hot gases that drive their respective pumps before both flows enter the main combustion chamber.This allows the engine to operate efficiently at very high pressure while reducing stress on some components.The design is widely considered among the most advanced approaches to rocket propulsion.Our first ever engine article ready to undergo extensive testing at the Anantpur test facility in Andhra Pradesh. Let’s go https://t.co/SvhSDHqqOg— Neeraj Khandelwal (@neerajKh_) August 7, 2026SpaceX is currently the only company to have flown a full-flow staged-combustion engine in an orbital rocket.Astrobase has already tested smaller versions of the technology.A scaled-down engine was successfully fired in September 2025, while high-speed propellant pumps were tested earlier this year.The company plans to conduct the first full-scale hot-fire test in the coming months at its private facility in Andhra Pradesh.BUILT FOR INDIA’S GROWING SPACE AMBITIONAstrobase, founded in 2024 by Neeraj Khandelwal and Devakumar Thammisetty, has developed its design and assembly facilities in Bengaluru. The company has also established a 21.5-acre test site near Anantapur, designed to handle high-thrust cryogenic engines.Large-scale metal 3D printing is being used to manufacture complex engine components, potentially speeding up production.Everest is also designed to throttle its thrust, an important capability for controlled rocket landings.Astrobase plans to use multiple Everest engines on a medium-lift rocket designed to carry satellites to low Earth orbit and return its first stage for reuse. The company is targeting its first orbital flight in the late 2020s.The engine's next big test will be on the ground.If Everest performs as designed, it could mark a significant step towards making advanced, reusable rocket technology part of India's growing private space industry.- EndsPublished On: Aug 7, 2026 16:10 IST