Chennai-based Inbound Aerospace has signed a five-year memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Australia-based Space Angel Group to explore collaboration in spacecraft testing and recovery.
The agreement covers flight and drop testing, high-altitude and near-space testing, recovery operations, spaceport infrastructure and mission planning. The companies signed the MoU during the recent Bengaluru Space Expo, organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) with ISRO, IN-SPACe and NewSpace India.
Under the agreement, the companies will assess how Space Angel’s spaceport, test-range, runway and recovery infrastructure can support testing and demonstrations of Inbound Aerospace’s spacecraft, re-entry vehicle and lifting-body systems.
The partnership will also cover joint technology development, demonstrations and pilot missions, while the companies plan to explore market expansion across India and Australia. They also intend to pursue bilateral research and innovation funding through government grants and university collaborations.
Inbound Aerospace, an IIT Madras-incubated company, is developing an autonomous, unmanned and recoverable spacecraft for low-Earth-orbit (LEO) missions. Its planned applications include microgravity research, in-orbit technology demonstrations, in-space manufacturing and payload return.
The company aims to return hardware, samples and manufactured products from LEO using a reusable spacecraft platform designed for orbital missions.