New Delhi, July 31 (IANS) Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday hailed Hyderabad-based space startup TakeMe2Space after its 'PowerBank-50' became India's first indigenously developed satellite battery to earn the coveted flight heritage status. Reacting to the milestone on social media platform X, FM Sitharaman wrote, "Brilliant! Until now, Indian satellite builders mostly had to import this critical component at high cost and long waiting times."The achievement follows the successful deployment of the PowerBank-50 aboard Skyroot Aerospace's Vikram-1 rocket during its maiden mission, 'Aagaman', launched on July 18. 

The battery powered Cosmoserve Space's experimental payload on the launch vehicle's Orbital Adjustment Module at an altitude of 450 km, performing successfully throughout the mission.The successful flight has earned the battery the flight heritage tag, a key qualification in the space industry that validates a component's performance in orbit, according to TakeMe2Space.Moreover, the certification significantly boosts confidence among satellite manufacturers, launch providers and insurers, who typically prefer hardware with proven spaceflight experience.The company also said the battery pack uses high-energy-density lithium-ion cells, an intelligent battery management system, integrated cell heaters and a lightweight aluminium enclosure to withstand launch vibrations, radiation, vacuum and extreme temperature variations in space.

According to the startup, the milestone is expected to reduce India's dependence on imported satellite batteries, which are often expensive and involve long procurement timelines.A domestically developed, flight-proven power system is expected to support the country's fast-growing small satellite ecosystem and make satellite development more affordable for startups, research institutions and universities.TakeMe2Space said the compact battery stores more than 50 watt-hours of energy, weighs about 380 grams and is designed to power CubeSats and microsatellites for missions of up to five years in low-Earth orbit.

/IANS