Orbitt Space Raises $1M to Develop ULEO Satellite Propulsion

Ahmedabad-based startup Orbitt Space has raised $1 million in pre-seed funding led by pi Ventures, with participation from IIMA Ventures, to develop an air-breathing electric propulsion system and satellite bus platform for Ultra Low Earth Orbit (ULEO) missions below 250 km altitude. Founded in early 2025 by former ISRO engineers Christopher Parmar and Anupam Kumar, the company aims to enable sustainable, debris-free, long-duration satellite operations by using residual atmospheric gases as propellant, eliminating the need for onboard fuel. ULEO offers advantages such as natural deorbiting, sharper imaging, lower signal latency, and radiation protection, but has remained largely inaccessible due to high atmospheric drag and fuel constraints. Orbitt's technology addresses these challenges by allowing satellites to operate for 5 to 7 years in the high-drag environment of ULEO, with applications in Earth observation, climate monitoring, and low-latency telecommunications. The funding will accelerate the design, prototyping, and testing of Orbitt's propulsion and avionics systems while expanding its engineering team. Orbitt aims to be among the first to commercialize air-breathing electric propulsion and reshape access to space by making ULEO a viable orbit for satellite deployment.