India, Dec. 24 -- Immanuel Louis, Co-founder and COO of Astrophel Aerospace, is attempting to rewire how India thinks about satellite launches-from large-ride dependency to faster, indigenous access to orbit. Alongside his co-founder, Louis is building a vertically integrated space-tech startup focused on Made-in-India rocket components, reusable engines, and sub-systems optimised for small and CubeSat missions.

In 2023, the bootstrapped company successfully test-fired a liquid rocket engine by adapting automotive-grade parts and designing cost-effective cryogenic valves and seals in-house.

In this interview with Voice&Data, he explains how the company is modelling its approach on assembly-line efficiencies, reducing reliance on importe...