Science TechnologyMonday, 10 August 2026·The Hindu - Science
India’s first privately built FFSC rocket engine EVEREST marks a major indigenous space-tech milestone
Astrobase Space Technologies unveiled India’s first privately built 800 kN FFSC LOX-Methane engine EVEREST on 7 August 2026.
Key highlights
Direct fact
On August 7, 2026, Bengaluru-based Astrobase Space Technologies unveiled EVEREST, India’s first privately built 800 kN Full-Flow Staged Combustion (FFSC) LOX-Methane rocket engine, at its facility on the outskirts of Bengaluru.
Key specifics
- EVEREST is an 800 kN Full-Flow Staged Combustion (FFSC) engine.
- The engine uses LOX-Methane propellants and was unveiled on August 7, 2026.
- Astrobase Space Technologies was founded in 2024 by Neeraj Khandelwal and former ISRO scientist Devakumar Thammisetty.
- India became the fourth nation to have FFSC engine technology after Russia, the USA and China.
- The first flight of EVEREST is targeted for December 2028, and hot-fire testing is planned at Anantapur in Andhra Pradesh.
Exam lens
Science and technology, indigenous launch systems, FFSC architecture, LOX-Methane, Bengaluru, Anantapur, December 2028 — TNPSC may ask which countries have FFSC technology and why this engine matters for reusable launch vehicles.