OrbitAid’s AyulSAT: India’s First In-Orbit Satellite Refuelling Mission Explained

India’s AyulSAT will test in-orbit satellite refuelling, docking and power transfer, paving the way for longer-lasting satellites and a cleaner space environment.

OrbitAid’s AyulSAT: India’s First Step Towards In-Orbit Satellite Refuelling

Subject: Science & Technology

Context:

India is set to demonstrate in-orbit satellite refuelling for the first time through AyulSAT, developed by Chennai-based OrbitAid Aerospace and launched aboard ISRO’s PSLV-C62.

What is AyulSAT?

AyulSAT is a 25-kg small satellite designed as a space tanker and docking target. It is built to test the ability to transfer fuel, power and data in outer space, a key technology needed for on-orbit servicing of satellites.

It will act as a precursor mission to India’s future satellite refuelling and servicing spacecraft.

Who Developed It?

AyulSAT has been developed by OrbitAid Aerospace, a Chennai-based Indian space startup founded by Sakthikumar Ramachandran.
The satellite is launched using ISRO’s PSLV-C62 rocket.

Objectives of AyulSAT

The mission aims to:

Demonstrate fuel transfer in micro-gravity
Validate docking and refuelling technology
Enable life-extension of satellites
Support future satellite servicing
Reduce space debris
Build the base for a commercial on-orbit space economy

Key Technological Features

In-Orbit Refuelling Test

AyulSAT will first transfer fuel inside its own tanks to study how liquids behave in zero gravity. This is a crucial step before actual satellite-to-satellite refuelling.

SIDRP Docking Interface

It uses OrbitAid’s Standard Interface for Docking and Refuelling Port (SIDRP) — a common docking system that future satellites can use for:

Fuel transfer
Power sharing
Data exchange

Multi-Utility Transfer

The system is designed not just for fuel, but also for:

Electrical power transfer
Data exchange between spacecraft

RPOD-Ready Design

AyulSAT will later be used as a target satellite for a future chaser satellite that will dock with it and perform real space-to-space refuelling by 2026.

Commercial Space Infrastructure

This is India’s first commercial docking and refuelling system placed in orbit, opening doors for private space servicing.

Why is AyulSAT Important?

Extending Satellite Life

Satellites normally stop working when their fuel runs out.
Refuelling in space can:

Add years to satellite life
Save hundreds of crores by avoiding replacement launches

Reducing Space Debris

Dead satellites become dangerous space junk.
Refuelling and servicing allow them to:

Be reused
Or safely moved away from busy orbits
This supports India’s Debris-Free Space Mission 2030.

Boost to India’s Space Economy

In-orbit servicing will:

Create new commercial markets
Support satellite repair, refuelling and upgrading
Make India a global space-technology leader

Conclusion

AyulSAT marks India’s entry into the next generation of space technology — where satellites are serviced, refuelled and reused in orbit instead of being abandoned.
It is a major leap toward a sustainable, commercial and debris-free space future.