Indian Startup Othisis Hot-Fires 3D-Printed Cryogenic Rocket Engine

A two-year-old space startup in Bengaluru just proved that a small team can build and fire a reusable rocket engine using additive manufacturing. Othisis Systems completed a sustained hot-fire test of its 5 kN cryogenic engine, which runs on liquid oxygen and methane and is fully 3D-printed using selective laser melting.

The engine delivered a nominal thrust of 5 kN at a chamber pressure of 35 bar. It uses regenerative cooling, where propellant flows through channels around the combustion chamber to absorb heat before it reaches the engine walls. The injector uses a modular pintle design, which lets Othisis swap a single component to adapt the same platform to different thrust levels. The test recorded a total impulse of 100 kN-s.

Getting to that burn took more than 20 test cycles and three failed ignition attempts. The team built the entire test facility from an empty plot at its Whitefield site in roughly three months, then ran water-flow characterization and cold-flow tests before attempting ignition.

Othisis was founded in 2023 by Syed Affan, who started as a self-taught propulsion engineer while pursuing his undergraduate degree. The company grew out of Rocketry India, a Discord community he created for amateur rocketeers. Affan now leads a team of fewer than 10 people split between India and the UK.

The engine is designed for a vertical take-off, vertical landing reusable hopper rocket targeted at small- and medium-sized satellite launches. Othisis has reportedly signed memorandums of understanding for payload flights, even though the vehicle itself has not yet flown. The company intends to use in-situ resource utilization concepts: both liquid oxygen and methane could theoretically be manufactured from CO2 and water, which would simplify operations on future missions.

Methane and oxygen offer a cleaner burn than the kerosene and oxygen combination common in many launchers. The fuel leaves almost no residue, which cuts maintenance time and improves reusability turnaround. The trade-offs are lower fuel density, which means larger tanks, and the cryogenic handling complexity that comes with keeping methane at minus 161 degrees Celsius.

The test places Othisis among a small group of private Indian space companies moving from hobbyist hardware to flight-capable propulsion. Most Indian launch startups have relied on imported engines or adapted government-designed systems. A fully 3D-printed, regeneratively cooled engine designed in-house by a team that includes undergraduate students is a different proposition.

The next milestone is a demonstration launch and landing of the hopper vehicle later this year. If that succeeds, Othisis will have closed the loop from Discord community to functional reusable rocket in under three years.