BENGALURU: A Bengaluru-based startup has moved a step closer towards launching an inflatable space habitat, a first for India, by completing key tests in Switzerland, enabled through its partners, including the European Space Agency (Esa).Akashlabdhi, a startup incubated at IISc, is now planning to launch a scaled-down version of the inflatable habitat, “AntarikshHAB”, designed for future human missions, in July. Conventional space habitats, like the International Space Station (ISS), have long grappled with issues of scalability, cost-efficiency, and limited living space. “Unlike what was done with ISS, or what is being planned for future space stations, AntarikshHAB can be launched as a compact habitat which will later inflate in space. In July, we will be launching a habitat that will be 70 cubic metres while the final habitat we are planning to develop will be around 300 cubic meters,” Akashlabdhi CEO Siddarth Jena told TOI. The July mission, to be launched aboard a vehicle provided by Spanish firm PLD Space, is designed as more than a brief technology demonstration. In addition to deploying the inflatable module in orbit, the plan includes a controlled de-orbit and atmospheric re-entry. “Post-flight inspection of recovered material is expected to yield data on degradation, survivability and end-of-life behaviour, areas that are increasingly important as regulators and space agencies stress responsible operations in low Earth orbit,” Jena said.For its programme, Akashlabdhi has collaborated with multiple European organisations, including Versuchsstollen Hagerbach (VSH) and the Amberg Group. “The programme is supported through grants and institutional participation from Esa and its partners, enabling the establishment of a dedicated Human Habitat Safety and Research & Development facility at VSH Hagerbach in Switzerland,” Jena said.The underground lab, operated by Amberg Group, provides a controlled environment with substantial natural rock overburden, allowing for realistic studies of radiation attenuation, structural integrity, isolation effects, and long-duration habitat performance under conditions that are difficult to replicate using surface-based facilities.“To advance our system to Technology Readiness Level 6 (TRL-6), a comprehensive test campaign was conducted. This included pressure and leak-before-burst tests on multi-layer flexible structures, thermal cycling and accelerated ageing of materials, and impact testing to simulate micrometeoroid and orbital debris strikes. Repeated deployment trials have also been carried out to assess the reliability of restraint and inflation mechanisms,” Jena said.These activities are supported by an integrated sensor network feeding into a digital twin framework, enabling real-time correlation between measured performance and predictive safety models.“Academic and research participation forms a core pillar of the collaboration. On the Indian side, IISc, IIT-Roorkee, and IIT-Delhi are contributing expertise in space structures, materials, systems engineering, and human-centric design. Swiss participation includes ETH Zurich, EMPA, and the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), working alongside Esa-linked research activities to support materials science, radiation studies, and advanced validation methodologies,” Jena said.Akashalabdhi leads overall habitat architecture, systems engineering and mission design, while the Amberg Group brings decades of experience in underground safety engineering and certification-oriented testing. The partnership, both sides say, is an attempt to apply proven terrestrial safety principles to the emerging domain of orbital infrastructure.Felix Amberg, president of the board of Amberg Group, said: “The collaboration is an extension of established civil and underground engineering principles into the domain of space systems, highlighting the value of combining underground safety validation with orbital deployment and recovery.”Beyond the immediate technical goals, the project is also being seen as a marker of closer cooperation between India and Switzerland, and more broadly with EFTA nations, in high-technology research. Go to Source
